Qualifications For - Local Political Subdivisions

Public Office Sought	U.S. Citizen	Texas Resident	Territory Resident	Registered to Vote in Area of Office Sought	Minimum Age	Any other requirements	Source Law
Type A City: Mayor	Yes	12 months ^a	12 months ^b	Yes ^c	18	-	Loc. Gov’t Code § 22.032
Type A City: Alderman	Yes	12 months ^a	6 months ^a,^*	Yes ^c	18	-	Loc. Gov’t Code § 22.032
Type B City	Yes	12 months ^a	6 months ^b	Yes ^c	18	-	Loc. Gov’t Code § 23.024
Type C City	Yes	12 months ^a	6 months ^a	Yes ^c	18	-	Elec. Code § 141.001
Home Rule City	Yes	12 months ^a	6 months; or city charter may require up to 12 months	Yes ^c	18; or city charter may require up to 21	^d	Elec. Code § 141.003
School Board Trustee	Yes	12 months ^a	6 months ^a	Yes ^c	18	^e	Educ. Code § 11.066
Library District	Yes	12 months ^a	6 months ^a	Yes ^c	18	-	Loc. Gov’t Code § 326.042
	Elec. Code § 141.001	Elec. Code § 141.001	Elec. Code § 141.001	Elec. Code § 141.001	Elec. Code § 141.001

After the election, Government Code Section 601.009 provides that office-holders must be registered voters of the area they were elected from as of the time they are sworn in.

* Brown v. Patterson, 609 S.W.2d 287 (Tex. Civ. App.—Dallas 1980) is the benchmark case for harmonizing provisions in the Election Code and other laws regarding candidate qualifications, including the type of language that is sufficiently express to supersede another conflicting provision.

Prior to the filing deadline
Prior to election day
Must be a registered voter in territory elected from by the filing deadline. See Voter Registration Requirements for Candidates for more information.
The U.S. Supreme Court has held that requiring a candidate own property violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Turner v. Fouche, 396 U.S. 346 (1970).
In addition to the general felony rule at Election Code Sec. 141.001 (finally convicted), a candidate for school board trustee must not have been convicted (finally convicted or otherwise) of specific crimes under the Education Code in time to serve. Sec. 11.066, Education Code.