Sec. 501.031. VERIFICATION OF PETITION

(a) The voter registrar of the county shall check the names of the signers of petitions and the voting precincts in which the signers reside to determine whether the signers were qualified voters of the county, justice precinct, or municipality at the time the petition was issued. The political subdivision may use a statistical sampling method to verify the signatures, except that on written request from a citizen of the political subdivision for which an election is sought, the political subdivision shall verify each signature on the petition. The citizen making the request shall pay the reasonable cost of the verification. The registrar shall certify to the commissioners court the number of qualified voters signing the petition.

(b) A petition signature may not be counted unless the signature is the actual signature of the purported signer and the petition:

(1) contains in addition to the signature:

(A) the signer's printed name;

(B) the signer's date of birth;

(C) if the territory from which signatures must be obtained is situated in more than one county, the county of registration;

(D) the signer's residence address; and

(E) the date of signing; and

(2) complies with any other applicable requirements prescribed by law.

(c) The use of ditto marks or abbreviations does not invalidate a signature if the required information is reasonably ascertainable.

(d) The omission of the state from the signer's residence address does not invalidate a signature unless the political subdivision from which the signature is obtained is situated in more than one state. The omission of the zip code from the address does not invalidate a signature.

(e) The signature is the only entry on the petition that is required to be in the signer's handwriting.

(f) A signer may withdraw the signer's signature by deleting the signature from the petition or by filing with the voter registrar an affidavit requesting that the signature be withdrawn from the petition. A signer may not withdraw the signature from a petition on or after the date the petition is received by the registrar. A withdrawal affidavit filed by mail is considered to be filed at the time of its receipt by the registrar. The withdrawal of a signature nullifies the signature on the petition and places the signer in the same position as if the signer had not signed the petition.

Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 975 , Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2005.