Texas elections aren’t official until they get certified. Here’s how it works. – Click2Houston

Texas elections aren’t official until they get certified. Here’s how it works.  Click2Houston

The typically low-key process has come under scrutiny since Jan. 6 rioters sought to halt certification of the 2020 presidential election. Election results will begin rolling out the evening of Election Day, and although winners will be declared and victory speeches made, the results will be official only after they’re certified. That final step will come weeks later when election results are formally locked in and a “certificate of election” is granted to the winners. The certification itself is typically brief and without fanfare, but after rioters tried to stop certification of the 2020 presidential election at the U.S. Capitol, the process has received more scrutiny. In Texas, the governor, House speaker and county commissioners play a role in certifying state and local elections, but they don’t have much to do beyond approving the results and calling it a day, experts say.

“There is no discretion,” said Jonathan Diaz, director of voting advocacy and partnerships at the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center. “The certification of election results is a ministerial duty under the law, which means it’s mandatory.” It’s typically a relatively noncontroversial and formulaic part of the election process, he said. “By the time we get to the point of certifying the results, state and local officials have already gone through all of the post-Election Day processes in state law