Nominee of New Party or Party Without Ballot Access
(Amended to reflect Federal District Court Orders of 12/14/2011 & 12/16/2011)
If you are a member of a new party or if your party's candidates for statewide office in the last general election received less than five percent of the vote, your party must qualify for ballot access. Tex. Elec. Code Ann. §§ 181.0041, 181.005. Your party must register with the Secretary of State's Office by January 2, 2012, and needs the support of 49,799 qualified voters. If you hope to become the nominee of a new party for a particular office, you must file an application for nomination with the county or state party chair, as appropriate (see chart) by the deadlines discussed below. If you receive a majority of the votes cast at the county, district, or state convention, as appropriate, your name will appear on the general election ballot in November if your party has obtained ballot access.
As a consequence of the federal district court order of 12/16/2011, there are two periods for a candidate to file an application for nomination. The first filing period closes at 5:00 p.m. on January 2, 2012. The first day of the second (or reopened) filing period will be determined at a later date by the court, but the deadline for the second (or reopened) filing period is 6:00 p.m. on February 1, 2012. Candidates who file during the first filing period will be permitted to withdraw or amend their applications with a new application during the second (or reopened) filing period. Our website will provide further information relative to the second (or reopened) filing period when it becomes available.
Public Office Sought in 2012 |
File Application with Party Chair | |
|---|---|---|
| State | County | |
United States Senator |
x
|
|
United States Representative |
x
|
-
|
Railroad Commissioner |
x
|
-
|
Justice, Supreme Court |
x
|
-
|
Presiding Judge or Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals |
x
|
-
|
State Senator |
x
|
-
|
State Representative |
x
|
-
|
Member, State Board of Education |
x
|
-
|
Chief Justice and Justice, Court of Appeals |
x
|
-
|
District Judge |
x
|
-
|
Criminal District Judge |
x
|
-
|
District Attorney |
x
|
-
|
Judge, County Court-at-Law |
-
|
x
|
Judge, County Criminal Court |
-
|
x
|
Judge, County Probate Court |
-
|
x
|
County Attorney |
-
|
x
|
Sheriff |
-
|
x
|
Tax Assessor-Collector |
-
|
x
|
County Commissioner |
-
|
x
|
Constable |
-
|
x
|
Justice of the Peace (Place 1) |
-
|
x
|
Source: Texas Election Code Section |
181.032 |
|