El Paso Matters – Do Texas voters have to cast votes for unopposed candidates?

Editor’s Note: El Paso Matters partners with Gigafact to produce “fact briefs” that examine claims about issues shaping our community.

No.

There is no law that requires voters to cast a vote in every race – contested or uncontested, according to the Texas Election Code.

Not marking a vote in one race does not invalidate the entire ballot, the code states.

Unopposed candidates in Texas do not need to receive a specific number of votes to be elected, according to the code.

Not casting a vote in a contested race where you can only vote for one candidate is called an undervote, according to the Texas Secretary of State.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.