Texas’ new election chief takes over as November election deadlines near

Robert S. Howden took over as Texas secretary of state on July 18, becoming the state’s chief election officer less than four months before the November 3, 2026, general election.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced Howden’s appointment on July 17. The transition places a new statewide official in charge of assisting county election officials, promoting uniform application of Texas election law and providing election information while counties and other local political subdivisions continue handling much of the work required to conduct elections.

What changed in Austin

Howden is the 116th Texas secretary of state and succeeded Jane Nelson. Before taking the post, he served as Abbott’s senior adviser and director of legislative affairs.

His earlier public-service work included serving on Gov. Bill Clements’ staff and working for Gov. Rick Perry as communications director and senior adviser. He also led the Texas division of the National Federation of Independent Business for a decade before joining the Perry administration.

The governor’s announcement says the secretary of state assists county election officials and helps ensure the uniform application and interpretation of Texas election laws. The office also maintains official business records, publishes state rules, commissions notaries public, keeps the state seal and performs other duties involving the governor and state government.

Counties still handle much of the local operation

Howden’s appointment does not move day-to-day election administration from local authorities to the state. County election officials and other political subdivisions remain responsible for many operational tasks under state law, including local election orders, notices, polling-place arrangements, election workers and voting procedures.

The secretary of state’s office provides statewide guidance, coordination, certifications and voter information. The division matters to residents because the practical details of voting in a particular community — including polling locations, local notices and election-day arrangements — generally come through the county election office or the local authority conducting the election.

Deadlines arrive this month

The next major entry on the state’s election calendar is August 17. At 5 p.m. that day, candidates seeking to run as write-in candidates for state and county offices must file their declarations with the appropriate authority. Political subdivisions other than counties also face an August 17 deadline to order a general election for November 3.

August 28 is the deadline for the secretary of state to certify independent and declared write-in candidates for federal, state and district offices to county election officers. The secretary also must certify party nominees for statewide and district offices and post major-party nominees for county and precinct offices. The calendar extends those deadlines from August 27 because that date is the LBJ Birthday state holiday.

September 4 is the deadline for cities, school districts and other political subdivisions to deliver election notices to the county election officer and voter registrar in each county where the subdivision is wholly or partly located.

What voters should mark

For voters, the statewide registration deadline is October 5. In-person early voting begins October 19 and continues through October 30 under the state’s calendar. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.

Residents should check their registration status and local voting information through the Texas secretary of state’s voter-information services and their county election office. The state calendar establishes statewide legal deadlines, but counties and other local authorities provide many of the details voters need before casting a ballot.

Security reviews began before the transition

The leadership change follows election-security work that was already underway. In a July 16 update, Nelson’s office said it had begun reviewing physical and information-technology security protocols in each of Texas’ 254 counties, including storage facilities, polling locations and central counting stations.

That announcement came before Howden’s July 18 start date. The available records establish that the reviews began under Nelson; they do not establish that Howden has changed the program or adopted new election procedures since taking office.

What happens next

County and local election officials will continue processing candidate filings, issuing notices, preparing ballots and organizing voting operations as the calendar moves toward November. The secretary of state’s office will continue providing statewide guidance and handling certifications required for ballot placement.

For Texas voters, the immediate takeaway is that the statewide leadership transition comes during an active election-preparation period. The next key dates are August 17 for write-in filings and local election orders, August 28 for candidate certifications, September 4 for local election notices, October 5 for voter registration, October 19 for the start of early voting and November 3 for Election Day.

Sources

• Office of the Texas Governor: Governor Abbott Appoints Howden As Texas Secretary Of State
• Texas Secretary of State: November 3, 2026 Election Law Calendar
• The Texas Tribune: Robert Howden, Abbott aide, to succeed Jane Nelson as Texas' top election official

Look for updates to this story

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