These records include certificates of election, canvasses of votes, election returns (mostly county returns, but also some precinct returns), correspondence, office memoranda, proclamations, clippings, presidential electors reports, minutes of the electoral college, Attorney General opinions concerning elections, precinct maps, lists of candidates, copies of relevant legislation, sample ballots, applications for a place on the ballot, election inspection reports, election schools materials, handbooks, voter registration reports, records of political parties (including minutes of party conventions, rules, and party primary expense statements), lists of officials prepared by the Secretary of State, election working files, and constitutional amendment working files. They comprise election materials created and/or maintained by the Elections Division of the Texas Secretary of State, dating 1909, 1913, 1936, 1940-1984. These materials document most general and special elections dating 1909, 1913, 1936, 1940-1984; and most primary elections dating 1950-1984. Files are not present for all elections. Most files reflect statewide or district races, although local races (e.g. for municipal offices) are also occasionally represented, especially in the case of special or contested elections. Parties represented include the Democratic and Republican parties, as well as independent candidates and third parties (Libertarian, Socialist Workers, La Raza Unida, American, Constitutional, Independent, New, Citizen, Whig, Confederate, American Family, Communist, and Populist Parties). Constitutional amendment elections are well-represented.

These records document the full gamut of election-related activities in Texas, including ordering and notification of elections, voter registration, political party rules, conducting primary elections, primary financing, political party conventions, application for a place on the ballot, preparation of the ballot, training and conduct of election judges and clerks, poll watching and election inspection, voting procedures, counting of ballots and preparation of returns, canvassing of election results, early voting, management of different voting systems, management of the presidential electoral college, election recounts, contested elections, bilingual requirements, and management of constitutional amendment elections.

Of particular note are voter registration reports dating 1967-1980. Arranged alphabetically by county and then in reverse chronological order within each folder, these reports give the number of registered voters precinct by precinct, with a county total. Reports dating 1967-1973 give a further breakdown (precinct by precinct) of number of voter registration certificates issued, and number cancelled.

Although some election returns are present in these files, the vast majority of election returns (county-by-county and precinct-by-precinct) have been described in three separate inventories (see Related Material).

This finding aid has been split into two separate finding aids due to electronic file size limitations imposed by TARO. Click here for Part II (mostly 1976-1984). If you are reading this in paper, that finding aid is found at a separate divider within the binder.

To prepare this inventory, the described materials were cursorily reviewed to delineate series, to confirm the accuracy of contents lists, to provide an estimate of dates covered, and to determine record types.