The short version.
The Texas voter registration file is a public record you request from the state elections office. You pay a fee, sign a use affidavit, and get the list of registered voters for your district — names, addresses, and registration details. Then you hand it to Motion51 and we load it, geocode it, and cut your turf.
Texas runs voter-file requests through the Secretary of State's Elections Division in Austin. It's a mail-in paper process, not an online portal, and the whole-state file is large and priced by reproduction cost -- so most local candidates request just their own county or district and pay far less.
Where to request it.
- Office
- Texas Secretary of State — Elections Division
- Contact
- phone: 512-463-5650 (toll-free 1-800-252-VOTE/8683) | email: elections@sos.texas.gov | address: Elections Division, P.O. Box 12060, Austin, TX 78711-2060 (physical: 208 E. 10th St., 3rd Floor, Austin, TX 78701)
What it costs.
$75.00 deposit required with request; final cost is itemized after fulfillment based on reproduction expense and any data manipulation (per Election Code 18.008/18.010). Full statewide pull has historically been reported by buyers in roughly the low-to-mid four figures; small extracts (single county / single district) can come in at or near the $75 deposit.
How to request it, step by step.
- Download the Voter Registration Public Information Request form (pi.pdf) from the Texas Secretary of State.
- Fill in exactly what you want. Narrow it to your county or district to keep the cost down, or request the full statewide file.
- Sign the use-restriction affidavit in front of a notary public.
- Mail the form with a $75.00 deposit check payable to “Secretary of State” to the Elections Division, P.O. Box 12060, Austin, TX 78711-2060.
- Within 15 days the SOS sends an itemized final cost. Pay any balance and they release the file by CD-ROM or secure FTP download.
How long it takes.
Up to 15 days from receipt of the request and deposit; release on payment of any balance.
Use restrictions — read before you order.
Affidavit required under Election Code 18.066: requester must swear the data will not be used in connection with advertising or promoting commercial products/services. Political campaign, GOTV, journalistic, and academic use is allowed. Misuse is a Class A misdemeanor (18.067). Confidential voters (judges, peace officers, family-violence victims) are suppressed.
Costs, forms, and rules change between cycles. Always confirm the current details on the official Texas page linked above before you send payment. This page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice.
Texas voter file FAQ.
How much does the Texas voter file cost?
It starts at the required $75 deposit. The Secretary of State then itemizes the final cost based on reproduction expense and any data formatting (Election Code 18.008/18.010). Buyers have reported the full statewide file in the low-to-mid four figures; a single county or district is far cheaper, often at or near the $75 deposit.
Can I use the voter file for my campaign?
Yes. Texas Election Code 18.066 only bars using the data to advertise or promote commercial products or services. Political campaign, get-out-the-vote, journalistic, and academic use is allowed. You sign an affidavit to that effect, notarized, and misuse is a Class A misdemeanor (18.067).
How long does it take to get?
The Secretary of State responds on or before the 15th day after receiving your request and deposit. The file is released once full payment clears.
Do I have to load the file into Motion51 myself?
No -- that's the part Motion51 handles. Send us the file the state gives you and we load it in, geocode the addresses, and set up your turf so volunteers can start knocking.
Once you have the file, Motion51 takes it from there.
Getting the file is the errand. The campaign is what happens next: loading tens of thousands of addresses, putting them on a map, cutting them into walkable turf, and tracking every door. That's what Motion51 does.
Send us the file the state gives you and we load it in, geocode the addresses, and set up your district so volunteers can start knocking. The app works offline for the stretches where cell coverage drops, and every door is logged with a timestamp. If you're weighing a race in Texas, our For Candidates page walks through the next steps.