TX SB505

Authorizes candidates, political party chairs, presiding judges, alternate presiding judges, and heads of specific-purpose political committees to submit written requests to county clerks for explanations of election irregularities, including apparent Election Code violations, result irregularities, documentation problems, and discrepancies between voter counts and votes cast

Requires county clerks to respond to initial requests within 20 days and follow-up requests within 10 days with explanations and supporting documentation

Allows requestors unsatisfied with county responses to petition the Secretary of State for an audit, which must be decided within 30 days; if ordered, the audit is conducted at the county's expense

Empowers the Secretary of State to appoint a conservator to oversee elections in a county found to have violated election law, with the conservator serving for two federal election cycles at the county's expense

Imposes a $500 civil penalty for each election code violation not remedied within 30 days of notice, with additional daily penalties if violations remain uncorrected; the Secretary of State must publish a record of penalized officials online