Rule 294.Polling the Jury
Last amended September 1, 1990 · Last verified June 28, 2026
Full Text of Rule 294
Plain-English Summary
Rule 294 protects the right to poll the jury. Any party may have the jury polled — the verdict or the questions and answers are read once to the jury collectively, then each juror is asked individually whether it is the juror's verdict. If a juror who appears to have agreed answers in the negative, the jury is retired for further deliberation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you poll the jury in a Texas civil case?
Yes. Rule 294 gives any party the right to a poll, in which each juror is asked individually whether the verdict is theirs; a negative answer sends the jury back to deliberate.
How does a Texas court poll the jury?
Under Rule 294, the verdict, or the questions and answers, is read once to the jury as a whole; then each juror is called by name and asked whether it is that juror's verdict.
What happens if a juror says the verdict is not theirs during a poll?
Under Rule 294, if a juror answers no — whether the verdict was signed only by the presiding juror as unanimous or by every juror individually — the court retires the jury for further deliberation.