Sec. 212.136. EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN VOTES FROM RECOUNT IN PRECINCTS USING VOTING SYSTEM. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (c), write-in votes cast in connection with a voting system shall be excluded from a recount of an election in which a plurality vote is sufficient.

(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), in a recount of an election in which a majority vote is required, if the candidate who first requests a recount in one or more precincts in which a voting system was used specifies in the recount document that only a recount of the write-in votes or only a recount of the voting system votes is requested, the votes for which the recount is not requested shall be excluded from the recount unless an objection to the exclusion is made under Section 212.137. A request for a recount of only write-in votes or only voting system votes must apply to all precincts included in the recount in which a voting system was used.

(c) Write-in votes may not be excluded from a recount in which a write-in candidate is the petitioner or a person entitled to notice of an approved petition under Section 212.032.

(d) The treatment given to the votes in the recount obtained under the recount document in which a recount in a voting system precinct is first requested must be given to the votes in all voting system precincts for which a recount is obtained under a subsequently submitted recount document pertaining to the same election.

(e) In a precinct in which voting system votes are excluded from a recount, the vote count entered on the original precinct election returns for the excluded votes shall be treated as the count for those votes for the purposes of the recount.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.