Historical Elections Research

Election returns and information about elected officials from federal, state, and local contests may not always be available in a single source.

This guide is an introduction to researching historical elections of both the Republic of Texas and the State of Texas using a variety of resources, such as archival records, publications, and newspapers within the collections at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Image: Election for delegates to attend the Convention of 1836, February 1, 1836. Texas Department of State election returns. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Texas Secretary of State Election Registers  document the election and appointment of public officials beginning in 1836.  

These records are available on microfilm through interlibrary loan. For more information about access to the records, see our Election Registers research guide.

Texas Secretary of State Executive Record Books  include appointments and election returns.

These records are available on microfilm through interlibrary loan. For more information about access to the records, see our Executive Record Books research guide.

Election returns from most counties and years can also be found within other collections in our archival holdings. Detailed information may be found in the descriptive guides for these collections:

• Texas Department of State election returns, 1835-1845
• State of Texas election returns (county-by-county), 1846-1984  (not inclusive)
• Secretary of State election returns (precinct-by-precinct), 1972-2004
• Texas Secretary of State, election materials (part I), 1909, 1913, 1936, 1940-1984
• Texas Secretary of State, election materials (part II), 1909, 1913, 1936, 1940-1984
• Texas Secretary of State general correspondence, 1846-1932, undated, bulk 1860-1930

Options for access to archival records at TSLAC include:

• A price quote for photocopies of specified materials. See our fee schedule for pricing.
• An appointment to access archival holdings. More information is available on our Before You Visit webpage.

The Texas State Archives Material Request Form must be submitted to request archival materials as required by Texas Government Code, Section 441.1935. Please refer to page 2 of the form for directions on how to submit your request. If you wish to access multiple collections, we require one form per collection. We recommend downloading and completing the form in Adobe Reader. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Oaths of office dated 1846-1920 are part of the Texas Secretary of State bonds and oaths .

These records have been digitized and are available online from Ancestry.com and Ancestry Library Edition. If you or your local library has access to one of these resources, you may wish to search, view and print entries from that site. The title of the database containing these records is “Texas, Bonds and Oaths of Office, 1846–1920.” Free access to Ancestry.com Texas is available to Texas residents.

Although we do not hold oaths of office after 1920, Texas Secretary of State Election Registers often note the date an oath was taken.

The Texas Secretary of State Government Filing Section maintains information on officials required to file an Oath of Office with the agency. For assistance you may also contact the Government Filings Section directly at (512) 463-6334 or register@sos.texas.gov.

In addition to original records, the following publications and online resources can be useful for researching historical elections and officials.

Contact your local library about borrowing books or requesting pages, including tables of contents or indexes, through the interlibrary loan (ILL) program. We are unable to search or provide copies from our publications, except for ILL requests.

Published Texas Secretary of State (SOS) biennial reports can include election results and lists of elected officials.

• Digitized SOS biennial reports covering 1881-1930 (not inclusive) are available from HathiTrust Digital Library .
• Request print copies of SOS biennial reports for 1882-1934 on-site or through ILL.

Compiled Index to Elected and Appointed Officials of the Republic of Texas: 1836-1846. Includes transcriptions of the information in the Republic registers for 1836-1842 and 1843-1846, except for the "Remarks." The listings in the book are arranged alphabetically by office holder's name. A county index lists the names of all officers from each county found in the two volumes for the period of the Republic. While we are unable to search or provide copies from this publication, access options include:

• View or download through the Texas Digital Archive .
• Request print copies on-site or through ILL.

Texas Almanac. Lists county-by-county election returns and appointments for some state and federal elected positions. Electronic copies from 1857 to 2004-2005 (not inclusive) are available to search or browse online through the Portal to Texas History, hosted by the University of North Texas. Begin with the year of interest, and then search for the phrase “election results” or “county officials.”

• View digitized copies through the Portal to Texas History , hosted by the University of North Texas.
• Request print copies on-site or through ILL.

The Texas Almanac's Political History of Texas. Lists county-by-county election results for statewide and federal elected positions through 1992.

• Request print copies on-site or through ILL.

Texas Register. Texas Secretary of State publication includes Governors' appointments beginning in 1976.

• Links to back issues and indexes are available on the Texas Secretary of State website .

Analysis of federal, state, and local contests for specific time periods or areas may include vote totals and candidate lists. Search for titles in the TSLAC library catalog or WorldCat  using keywords such as “Texas election statistics” or “Texas election returns” to find materials of interest.

Local newspapers may have published lists of elected officials and returns. Visit our Newspaper Research Guide for information about newspaper research, including online subscriptions and other newspaper resources.

Find a Texas Library in the area of interest and inquire about local history and newspaper collections and research services.

Resources for recent election returns include:

• Texas Secretary of State Elections Division. Local and statewide election information, including election results from 1992-present, can be found on the Texas Secretary of State Elections website .
• Office of the County Clerk. County elections divisions conduct special, primary, and general elections. Search for contact information on the County and District Clerks' Association of Texas website  or the Texas Association of Counties website .
• Office of the City Clerk. The City Clerk is responsible for managing municipal elections. Search for contact information on the Texas Municipal League City Officials Directory .

Search the Texas Statutes Online  to review Texas laws concerning elections. Begin by browsing chapters of the Election Code or click “Search” at the top of the page to perform a keyword search.