Election Code § 52.007

Sec. 52.007. SPECIMEN BALLOT. (a) An official ballot for each ballot format used in each election shall be designated a specimen ballot. (b) The specimen ballot shall be made available for public inspection: (1) for an election other than a primary election, in the office of the authority responsible for having the official ballot prepared; or (2) for a primary election, in the office of the county clerk. (c) The specimen ballot shall be made available for public inspection as soon as practicable after the official ballots have been prepared for the election and shall be preserved for the period for preserving the precinct election records. (d) The county chair of each political party holding a primary election shall deliver the ballots to be used as specimen ballots to the county clerk when the official ballots are received from the printer. (e) The authority in whose office the specimen ballot is kept shall mark each specimen ballot with "SPECIMEN" in a manner that will not prevent the reading of its contents. If more than one ballot format is used in the election, the authority shall indicate on the specimen ballot the election precincts in which each ballot format is used. (f) A specimen ballot may not be reproduced for distribution. Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 864, Sec. 51, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.