Trustee Elections

To be eligible to be a candidate for, or elected or appointed to, the office of school board member, a person must:

1. Be a United States citizen.
2. Be 18 years of age or older on the first day of the term to be filled at the election or on the date of appointment, as applicable.
3. Have not been determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.
4. Have not been finally convicted of a felony from which the person has not been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities [but see Ineligibility below].
5. Have resided continuously in the state for 12 months and in the territory from which the office is elected for six months immediately preceding the following date:
   1. For an independent candidate, the date of the regular filing deadline for a candidate's application for a place on the ballot.
   2. For a write-in candidate, the date of the election at which the candidate's name is written in.
   3. For an appointee to an office, the date the appointment is made.
6. Be registered to vote in the territory from which the office is elected on the date described at item 5, above.

Election Code 1.020, 141.001(a); Gov't Code 601.009; Tex. Const. Art. XVI, Sec. 14

"Qualified voter" means a person who:

1. Is 18 years of age or older;
2. Is a United States citizen;
3. Has not been determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote;
4. Has not been finally convicted of a felony or, if so convicted, has fully discharged the person's sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole, or supervision, or completed a period of probation ordered by any court; or been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disability to vote;
5. Is a resident of this state; and
6. Is a registered voter.

Election Code 1.020, 11.002 [See Atty. Gen. Op. KP-0251 (2019) (concluding that the restoration of a convicted felon's qualification to vote under Election Code 11.002(a)(4)(A) after fully discharging a sentence does not restore the person's eligibility to hold public office under Election Code 141.001(a)(4))]