Texas HB 1661: Ballot Supply Planning Is Now a Bigger Readiness Issue

Texas House Bill 1661 was passed during the 89th Legislative Session and focuses on election supplies, including ballot quantities.

At a high level, the bill is about making sure polling places have enough ballots.

From an operational standpoint, it raises a larger issue: ballot supply planning has to be deliberate, documented, and responsive.

What Actually Changed?

According to the Texas Secretary of State’s 2025 legislative summary, HB 1661 requires the election officer responsible for procuring election supplies to provide ballots equal to at least the percentage of voters who voted in the most recent corresponding election, plus 25 percent of that number.

The Secretary of State summary also states that the number of ballots cannot exceed the total number of registered voters in the precinct unless the county is part of the countywide polling place program.

HB 1661 also creates a Class A misdemeanor offense for an election officer who intentionally fails to provide the required number of ballots or does not promptly supplement distributed ballots when requested by a polling place.

The bill also increases certain existing penalties related to failure to distribute or deliver election supplies, obstructing distribution of supplies, and unlawfully revealing information before polls close.

Why This Matters Operationally

Ballot supply planning sounds simple until it has to account for real election conditions.

Election offices may need to consider:

turnout history
ballot styles
precinct assignments
polling place assignments
countywide polling place rules
emergency ballot procedures
supplemental supply requests
delivery timelines
communication with polling places

The legal requirement sets a minimum standard.

The operational challenge is building a process that ensures the right supplies are where they need to be, when they need to be there.

Why “Most Recent Corresponding Election” Matters

HB 1661 uses the most recent corresponding election as the basis for calculating ballot quantities.

That means offices need to identify the correct comparison election and calculate ballot needs based on that turnout.

For some election types, that may be straightforward.

For others, it may require more review, especially when jurisdictions have changed polling places, moved to countywide voting, added or removed districts, or have unusual turnout patterns.

The calculation is only one part of the process.

The office also needs a plan for monitoring ballot supply and responding if a polling place requests additional ballots.

What Election Offices Can Review Now

Some questions worth considering:

What process is used to calculate ballot quantities?
Who verifies the calculation?
How are ballot styles accounted for?
How are supplies allocated by precinct or polling place?
How are supplemental ballot requests received and documented?
Who is responsible for responding to supply issues during voting?
How is delivery of additional supplies tracked?

These are not just printing questions.

They are readiness, logistics, and documentation questions.

Continuing the Conversation

HB 1661 places additional attention on ballot supply planning and election-day responsiveness.

For election offices, this is a reminder that supplies are part of the overall election system. Ballot quantities, delivery, tracking, and supplemental requests all need to work together.

How is your office reviewing ballot supply planning before the next election cycle?