Early voting, election day and machine-counted mail ballots all covered.
The bill expands the hand count audit that county election officials must run after elections on electronic voting systems, covering early voting locations, election day polling locations and mail ballots counted by machine. It touches county election record custodians, early voting ballot boards, poll watchers and the secretary of state, who picks the races and locations in big statewide elections. Counts must start within 72 hours and finish within 21 days, results must be posted on the county website, and every county must join the statewide risk-limiting audit no matter how it counts ballots.
Labels
Labels: QUICK READ: 80 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 80 words, counting the existing law it amends and the text it strikes. The median 89R bill as filed runs 441 words (derived, 8,702 graded bills, snapshot Oct 19, 2026).
relating to the audit of an election using an electronic voting
system.
WHAT IT DOES
Early voting, election day and machine-counted mail ballots all covered.
The bill expands the hand count audit that county election officials must run after elections on electronic voting systems, covering early voting locations, election day polling locations and mail ballots counted by machine. It touches county election record custodians, early voting ballot boards, poll watchers and the secretary of state, who picks the races and locations in big statewide elections. Counts must start within 72 hours and finish within 21 days, results must be posted on the county website, and every county must join the statewide risk-limiting audit no matter how it counts ballots.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
Names were not printed for yea. Only the named positions are included in member records.
The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records final passage. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.
Sources
CSSB 827 (Parker) Relating to the audit of an election using an electronic voting system. (viva voce vote) (26-4) "Nays" Alvarado, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, Miles (26-4) "Nays" Alvarado, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, Miles
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: 26 (published)
Nay: 4 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Names were not printed for yea. Only the named positions are included in member records.
The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records suspension of the three-day rule. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.
Sources
CSSB 827 (Parker) Relating to the audit of an election using an electronic voting system. (viva voce vote) (26-4) "Nays" Alvarado, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, Miles (26-4) "Nays" Alvarado, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, Miles
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: 26 (published)
Nay: 4 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.
The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records passage to engrossment. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.
Voice vote. No numeric tally or individual yeas are inferred.
Sources
CSSB 827 (Parker) Relating to the audit of an election using an electronic voting system. (viva voce vote) (26-4) "Nays" Alvarado, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, Miles (26-4) "Nays" Alvarado, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, Miles
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: Not printed
Nay: Not printed
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Witnesses39
For
22
Against
15
On
2
Names
For
Hart InterCivic1 registration
Self11 registrations
Self; County and District Clerks Assoc1 registration
Self; DCRP1 registration
Self; Harris county ballot security2 registrations
Self; SREC Committeeman SD31 registration
Self; SREC Committeewoman SD31 registration
Self; State Republican Executive Committeeman SD24, Self1 registration
Self; Texas Assoc of County Election Officials1 registration
Self; Texas Association of County Election Officials1 registration
The County and District Clerks’ Association of Texas1 registration
Against
ACLU of Texas1 registration
Common Cause Texas1 registration
Common cause texas1 registration
Self10 registrations
Self; Citizens Defending Freedom1 registration
Self; No1 registration
On
Secretary of State1 registration
Texas Secretary of State1 registration
Sources
39 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.
Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.
House committee · Elections · Committee vote 8 aye, 1 nay · Out of committee
Senate committee · State Affairs · Committee vote 10 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee
Subjects
County Government--General
Elections--Election Officers
Elections--General
Elections--Voting Systems
AUDITS & AUDITORS
SECRETARY OF STATE
Text
The text as introduced · 80 words
89R2389 MPF-D
By: Parker
S.B. No. 827
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the audit of an election using an electronic voting
system.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. The heading to Section 127.201, Election Code,
is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 127.201. HAND [ PARTIAL ] COUNT ELECTION AUDIT [ OF
ELECTRONIC VOTING SYSTEM BALLOTS BY GENERAL CUSTODIAN ].
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
Monitoring 