What is required for a petition to be valid in Texas?

Reader, thank you so much for asking a question about petitions as this issue has been brought to my attention recently. Other readers have also questioned the requirements of a political petition, including a current petition requesting the recall of a local city mayor.

[caption id="attachment_249437" align="alignright" width="97"] Leslee Bassman[/caption]

The Texas Election Code provides the rules applicable to a petition, including:

• A signer’s signature must be in his or her handwriting, but other information can be filled in by someone else;

• A signer’s printed name, address, date of birth or voter registration number, and signing date must be included in the petition;

• A signature must be from a “qualified voter”—that is, a registered voter who registered to vote in Texas;

• A singular invalid signature does not invalidate the entire petition;

• A spouse cannot sign for his or her spouse;

• A signer must sign the petition within six months, or 180 days, of the petition being filed;

• A signer cannot withdraw his or her signature from a petition once it is filed; and

• A petition cannot, generally, be added to, modified or amended after it is filed.