Important Dates for the Party Conventions, Primary Elections, and General Election

Please check out the SOS website for the full calendar and important dates

September 2025
Tuesday, September 9, 2025	First day the county chairs may accept applications for a place on the ballot, for the office of precinct chair.  [Sec. 172.023(b)]
November 2025
Saturday, November 8, 2025	First day the Republican or Democratic Party candidate may file an application for a place on the primary ballot.  [Sec. 172.023(b)] First day the county chairs may accept applications for a place on the primary ballot for the office of county chair.  [Sec. 172.023(b)] First day independent candidates may file a declaration of intent to run.  [Secs. 142.002(b)(2), 172.023]
Friday, November 28, 2025	If there is a vacancy for an unexpired term in a state or county office after the 10th day before the candidacy filing deadline, but on or before the 5th day before the deadline (on or after November 28 and on or before December 3), an application for the unexpired term is subject to an extended filing deadline. See entry at December 15, 2025.  [Sec. 202.004(a), (c)]
December 2025
Wednesday, December 3, 2025	Last day a vacancy for an unexpired term may occur, for that seat to appear on the primary ballot.  [Sec. 202.004(a)]
Sunday, December 7, 2025	Deadline for the county chair (or the secretary of the county executive committee) to post, on the political party’s Internet website or where a candidate files their application, a notice containing the addresses at which the county chair and the secretary will be accepting applications on the last day for filing an application.  [Sec. 172.022(b)]
Monday, December 8, 2025	Last day Democratic or Republican Party candidates may file an application for a place on the primary ballot (6 p.m.).  [Sec. 172.023(a)] Note: This is also the deadline for applications for an unexpired term in a state or county office that occurred on or before the 10th day before the date of the filing deadline.  [Sec. 202.004(b)]  See entry at December 15, 2025 for Extended Deadlines.
December 2025
Monday, December 8, 2025	Last day the county chairs may accept applications for the office of county or precinct chair (6 p.m.).  [Sec. 172.023(a)] Last day independent candidates may file a declaration of intent to run (6 p.m.).  [Secs. 142.002, 172.023(a)] Last day convention party candidates may file applications and submit filing fee or petition in lieu of filing fee to applicable filing authority in order to be nominated by convention (6 p.m.).  [Sec. 181.033(a)]  A political party, by rule, may extend the filing deadline for applications for nomination for an office for which a candidate withdraws, dies, or is declared ineligible.  [Sec. 181.033(b)]
Tuesday, December 9, 2025	If a candidate withdraws, dies, or is declared ineligible by this date, the candidate’s name is omitted from the primary ballot.  [Secs. 172.057(a), 172.058(a)]
Monday, December 15, 2025	Deadline for the state or county chair, as applicable, to receive applications under an extended filing period due to a vacancy for an unexpired term in a state or county office, that occurred after the 10th day before the candidacy filing deadline, but on or before the 5th day before the deadline (on or after November 28 and on or before December 3, 2025).  [Sec. 202.004(a), (c)]  (This deadline is extended to Monday, December 15, 2025 by Section 1.006 due to the 5th day after the date of the regular filing deadline for the general primary election falling on Saturday, December 13, 2025)Extended Deadline (6 p.m.) for the state or county chair to receive a new application for an office for which the applicant:Dies on or after the fifth day before the filing deadline (December 3, 2025) and on or before the first day after the filing deadline (December 9, 2025);Holds the office for which the application was made, and withdraws or is declared ineligible on the filing deadline (December 8, 2025) or on the first day after the filing deadline (December 9, 2025); orWithdraws or is declared ineligible on the filing deadline (December 8, 2025) or on the first day after the filing deadline (December 9, 2025), and at the time of the withdrawal or declaration of ineligibility no other candidate has made an application that complies with the applicable requirements.  [Sec. 172.054(b)] This deadline is extended to Monday, December 15, 2025 by Section 1.006 due to the 5th day after the date of the regular filing deadline for the general primary election falling on Saturday, December 13, 2025.Note: An application filed by mail with the state chair under this Extended Deadline provision is not timely, if received later than 5:00 p.m. on the Extended Deadline.
December 2025
Monday, December 15, 2025	Last day candidates may file a declaration of write-in candidacy for county or precinct chair if write-ins are authorized by the county executive committee (6 p.m.).  [Sec. 171.0231(d)]  (This deadline is extended to Monday, December 15, 2025 by Section 1.006 due to the 5th day after the date of the regular filing deadline for the general primary election falling on Saturday, December 13, 2025).
Tuesday, December 16, 2025	Deadline for the state chair to certify to the Secretary of State (SOS), the name of each candidate who files an application for a place on the primary ballot that complies with Section 172.021(b) on or before December 8, 2025.  [Sec. 172.028(a); 1 TAC 81.112(a)(4)]
Wednesday, December 17, 2025	Date SOS anticipates posting the certified list, provided by state chairs, of candidates who filed on or before December 8, 2025, on its public website.  [Sec. 172.028(a)] Deadline for the state chair to notify the county chair of each county in which the candidate will appear on the ballot that the certified list has been posted by SOS.  [Sec. 172.028(b)]  See entry at December 18, 2025 for supplemental notification of certification of candidates who filed with the state chair on or before the Extended Deadline of December 15, 2025.Deadline for the state executive committee to set the date, hour, and place for convening the state convention.  [Secs. 174.092, 174.093] Note: Section174.092(b) provides that the state executive committee must set the date, hour, and place for convening the state convention not later than the date the state chair delivers to the county chairs the certification of names to be placed on the general primary ballot. However, the state chair no longer certifies names of the district and statewide candidates for the primary ballot to county chairs. Instead, the state chair certifies candidate names to the Secretary of State, which posts candidate names on its website. Section 172.028(b) provides that the state chair must notify the county chair in each county not later than the 9th day after the regular filing deadline that the certification has been posted by Secretary of State. Accordingly, the calendar continues to show the 9th day after the regular filing deadline as the deadline for state executive committee to set the date, hour, and place for convening the state convention.Deadline for the chair to post notice on the commissioners court bulletin board 24 hours before the date, hour, and place of the ballot drawing if the drawing is conducted on December 18, 2025. If the party has a website, they must post notice on the party’s website. All candidates who provide an email address on their filing form must be notified electronically.  [Sec. 172.082(e)]
Thursday, December 18, 2025	Deadline for the county chair or county chair’s designee to conduct the drawing for the order of candidates on the ballot at the county seat (unless the committee provides by resolution that the county executive committee is to conduct drawing).  [Sec. 172.082(c)]
December 2025
Thursday, December 18, 2025	Recommended deadline for the state chair to certify to SOS the list of candidates who filed an application that complies with Section 172.021(b) after December 8, 2025 and on or before December 15, 2025.  [Secs. 172.028(a), 172.029] Note: The purpose of this recommendation is to ensure that candidates whose applications are filed in accordance with the Extended Deadlines under Sections 202.004(a) and 172.054(b) are added to the list of certified candidates previously submitted by the state chair to the SOS. See entries at December 15, 2025 and December 26, 2025.
Friday, December 26, 2025	Date by which Secretary of State anticipates posting on Secretary of State’s Internet website, that is viewable by the public, additions to the certified list of candidates provided by state chair that are the result of the additional candidates who filed on or before December 15, 2025 in accordance with the Extended Deadlines.  [Secs. 172.028(a), 172.029] Recommended date for state chair to notify county chair in each county in which the candidate’s name is to appear on the ballot that certification of additional candidates who filed by the Extended Deadline on or before December 15, 2025 has been posted by Secretary of State.  [Secs. 172.028(b), 172.056]  See entries at December 15, 2025 and December 18, 2025.
Monday, December 29, 2025	Recommended deadline for the county chair and the state chair to electronically submit certain candidate information (including information on candidates for county and precinct chair) to the county election officer, the state chair, and the SOS.  [Sec. 172.029(c)] Recommended date for the county chair to submit the ballot format to the primary committee for its approval, and for the county chair to order ballots.  [Secs. 86.004(b), 172.083]

Important note concerning campaign finance and advertising

Before becoming a candidate, we urge you to contact the Texas Ethics Commission for information on campaign contribution reports, the appointment of a campaign treasurer, and personal financial statements that you may be required to file. The Commission may be reached at:

Texas Ethics Commission
P.O. Box 12070
Austin, Texas 78711-2070
512-463-5800

Candidates running for a federal office should direct their questions to the Federal Election Commission at:

Federal Election Commission
1050 First Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20463
800-424-9530