How will Texasโ voter-approved $3 billion dementia fund fare in court
Read full article: How will Texasโ voter-approved $3 billion dementia fund fare in courtIn 2023, Texas overcame lawsuits that sought to prevent constitutional amendments from going into effect, but one that voters approved in 2021 is still blocked.
Paxton sides with Texas GOP, against secretary of state in lawsuit seeking to close primaries
Read full article: Paxton sides with Texas GOP, against secretary of state in lawsuit seeking to close primariesSecretary of State Jane Nelson said in a filing that Paxtonโs office gave her less than an hourโs warning that theyโd be siding against her agency in court.
Texas secretary of state refers 33 potential noncitizen voters for criminal investigation
Read full article: Texas secretary of state refers 33 potential noncitizen voters for criminal investigationThe 33 potential voting violations are a tiny fraction of the roughly 11 million who cast ballots in the November 2024 election.
Some Texas lawmakers want to ban countywide voting on Election Day. Local officials are pushing back.
Read full article: Some Texas lawmakers want to ban countywide voting on Election Day. Local officials are pushing back.Election administrators say letting people cast a ballot at any polling site is more convenient for voters and cheaper for local governments.
Texas withdraws request to block U.S. Justice Department from monitoring stateโs elections
Read full article: Texas withdraws request to block U.S. Justice Department from monitoring stateโs electionsThe federal agency agreed their monitors would remain outside polling locations and wouldnโt interfere with voting.
Texas lawmakers signal push to require proof of citizenship from voters
Read full article: Texas lawmakers signal push to require proof of citizenship from votersGov. Greg Abbott gave an inflated number of noncitizens removed from the stateโs voter rolls, officials acknowledged, confirming findings by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune, and Votebeat.
Texas officials say theyโve scrubbed the voter rolls. Hereโs how to check if youโre still on them.
Read full article: Texas officials say theyโve scrubbed the voter rolls. Hereโs how to check if youโre still on them.The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 7. The Texas Tribune, ProPublica and Votebeat want to hear from people removed from voter rolls.
Election experts cautious as Abbott touts voter roll purge
Read full article: Election experts cautious as Abbott touts voter roll purgeFederal and state law already required voter roll maintenance. Experts warn the governorโs framing of this routine process could be used to undermine trust in elections.
Texas will send inspectors to monitor 2024 elections in Harris County
Read full article: Texas will send inspectors to monitor 2024 elections in Harris CountyAn audit by the Texas Secretary of Stateโs Office found improved elections procedures, but the office is sending monitors because of past problems.
Texas tells local election officials to stop releasing information that exposes how some people vote
Read full article: Texas tells local election officials to stop releasing information that exposes how some people voteThe emergency guidance from the secretary of state comes after Votebeat and The Texas Tribune confirmed the choices some voters make can later be identified through legally available records.
Texas officials compromised ballot secrecy as they increased election transparency
Read full article: Texas officials compromised ballot secrecy as they increased election transparencyIn limited instances, the choices some Texas voters make can later be identified using public, legally available data.
Most 18-year-old Texans arenโt signed up to vote despite a law requiring voter registration in high schools
Read full article: Most 18-year-old Texans arenโt signed up to vote despite a law requiring voter registration in high schoolsVoting is habit-forming and high schools are critical for starting that pattern.
What are the most important issues for you in 2024? We want to answer your questions
Read full article: What are the most important issues for you in 2024? We want to answer your questionsWeโre committed to supporting Texans throughout the 2024 election. Share your thoughts by using the form below.
Kyle Rittenhouse launches nonprofit with far-right Texans as he ramps up political engagement in the state
Read full article: Kyle Rittenhouse launches nonprofit with far-right Texans as he ramps up political engagement in the stateThe activist known for shooting Black Lives Matter protesters in 2020 has created the Rittenhouse Foundation, which promises to fight for gun rights and includes leaders who have close ties to ultraconservative megadonors from West Texas.
Abbott taps John Scott, former Texas secretary of state, as interim attorney general
Read full article: Abbott taps John Scott, former Texas secretary of state, as interim attorney generalScott, a former deputy attorney general, will run the agency because Ken Paxton has been suspended from office until his impeachment trial before the Texas Senate.
Aging state vehicle fleet fuels tens of millions in new money requests by agencies
Read full article: Aging state vehicle fleet fuels tens of millions in new money requests by agenciesMany state-owned vehicles are aging past the standards for replacement. Early budget drafts signal that lawmakers are considering funding some $237.6 million in requests for new ones.
Texas elections secure despite COVID-related โirregularitiesโ in 2020, audit finds
Read full article: Texas elections secure despite COVID-related โirregularitiesโ in 2020, audit findsFour Texas counties were evaluated in a 359-page audit released by Secretary of State John Scott on Monday, two weeks before he steps down as chief election official.
Texas Secretary of State John Scott says our elections are secure, but he sometimes muddles that message
Read full article: Texas Secretary of State John Scott says our elections are secure, but he sometimes muddles that messageHeading into the midterm elections, Scott has repeatedly insisted that Joe Biden is the rightful president and that Texasโ elections are free, fair and secure. But his delivery has been at times ambiguous and given oxygen to election misinformation.
The Texas voter registration deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 11. Hereโs how to check your status and register.
Read full article: The Texas voter registration deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 11. Hereโs how to check your status and register.How do I find out if Iโm registered to vote? How do I register to vote in the first place? Who is eligible to register to vote?
Appeals court allows Texas to withhold list of people it thinks are noncitizens and canโt vote
Read full article: Appeals court allows Texas to withhold list of people it thinks are noncitizens and canโt voteThe appellate court reversed a previous ruling that found that Texas violated federal law by refusing to release the list. The suit was brought by five civil rights groups that sought to hold Texas accountable if it disenfranchised naturalized citizens.
Paxton legal opinion giving public immediate access to ballots jeopardizes election security and invites lawsuits, experts say
Read full article: Paxton legal opinion giving public immediate access to ballots jeopardizes election security and invites lawsuits, experts sayAttorney generalโs opinion invites lawsuits over long-established ballot security and sets up election officials for possible criminal charges.
Partisan spats over vote counting mean Harris Countyโs election results will likely be late again
Read full article: Partisan spats over vote counting mean Harris Countyโs election results will likely be late againWaiting for final results from Houston and Harris County has become an unwelcome Texas political ritual. The countyโs sheer size is part of the problem, but so is party squabbling over counting procedures.
At least 18,000 Texas mail-in votes were rejected in the first election under new GOP voting rules
Read full article: At least 18,000 Texas mail-in votes were rejected in the first election under new GOP voting rulesIn just 16 of the stateโs largest counties, more than 18,000 mail-in ballots were rejected, most for failing to meet the new lawโs ID requirements. A full statewide tally isnโt yet available.
Thousands of Texas mail-in votes still in jeopardy under new GOP voting restrictions
Read full article: Thousands of Texas mail-in votes still in jeopardy under new GOP voting restrictionsHow many voters were effectively disenfranchised by new ID requirements for mail-in voting wonโt be known for another week. Voters can still try to correct defective ballots.
Hereโs who Texas voters chose as party nominees for the 2022 midterm election
Read full article: Hereโs who Texas voters chose as party nominees for the 2022 midterm electionGet The Texas Tribuneโs coverage of election results for the 2022 primary races for governor, attorney general, U.S. House and the Texas Legislature.
Partisan tactic by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrickโs campaign delays thousands of requests for mail-in ballots from Texas voters
Read full article: Partisan tactic by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrickโs campaign delays thousands of requests for mail-in ballots from Texas votersPatrickโs mass mailing urging voters to apply for mail-in ballots included return envelopes addressed to the Texas secretary of stateโs office. The applications are supposed to be sent to local offices, but Patrickโs campaign says voters donโt trust election officials in Democratic counties.
Nearly 18% of registered Texas voters cast 2022 primary ballots
Read full article: Nearly 18% of registered Texas voters cast 2022 primary ballotsTexas has a history of a dismal turnout rate in primary elections. This yearโs turnout was higher than the last six midterm primaries. Still, less than 1 in 5 registered voters participated.
Vote-by-mail rejections are testing integrity of Texas Republicansโ voting law
Read full article: Vote-by-mail rejections are testing integrity of Texas Republicansโ voting lawWith less than a month left to vote by mail in the March primary election, hundreds of applications for mail-in ballots are being rejected as both Texas voters and local election officials decipher new ID requirements enacted by Republican lawmakers.
Texas voter registration forms hindered by supply chain issues as deadline nears
Read full article: Texas voter registration forms hindered by supply chain issues as deadline nearsThe Texas Secretary of State's Office is reportedly limiting the number of voter registration forms given to advocacy groups due to supply chain issues.
Texasโ primary election is March 1. Hereโs what you need to know to vote.
Read full article: Texasโ primary election is March 1. Hereโs what you need to know to vote.The last day to register to vote was Jan. 31. The last day to apply for a ballot by mail is Feb. 18. Early voting runs from Feb. 14-25.
Hundreds of mail-in ballot applications are being rejected under Texasโ new voting rules
Read full article: Hundreds of mail-in ballot applications are being rejected under Texasโ new voting rulesTexas Republicans last year enacted new identification requirements for voting by mail as part of sweeping legislation that further restricted the stateโs voting process and narrowed local control of elections.
First part of Texasโ 2020 election audit reveals few issues, echoes findings from review processes already in place
Read full article: First part of Texasโ 2020 election audit reveals few issues, echoes findings from review processes already in placeAn initial review of four countiesโ election results โ launched after pressure from former President Donald Trump and touted by GOP leaders โ showed few discrepancies between electronic and hand counts of ballots in a sample of voting precincts.
Texasโ renewed voter citizenship review is still flagging citizens as โpossible non-U.S. citizensโ
Read full article: Texasโ renewed voter citizenship review is still flagging citizens as โpossible non-U.S. citizensโThe secretary of stateโs office says it is following the legal settlement agreement it entered in 2019 after botching its first review effort. But scores of citizens are still being marked for citizenship verification โ and possible removal from the rolls.
Last minute campaign announcement creates opening for Bexar County commissioner in Pct. 3. What happens next?
Read full article: Last minute campaign announcement creates opening for Bexar County commissioner in Pct. 3. What happens next?The Secretary of State's office explained how the next Pct. 3 commissioner will be elected.
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Texasโ new secretary of state doesnโt deny Joe Bidenโs 2020 victory, but heโs still prioritizing an election audit
Read full article: Texasโ new secretary of state doesnโt deny Joe Bidenโs 2020 victory, but heโs still prioritizing an election auditJohn Scott briefly represented Donald Trump's legal effort to challenge the election results in Pennsylvania. In an interview, he said thereโs no question that Joe Biden is the president and he has โnot seen anythingโ to suggest the election was stolen.
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Gov. Greg Abbottโs pick for top Texas election post worked with Trump to fight 2020 results
Read full article: Gov. Greg Abbottโs pick for top Texas election post worked with Trump to fight 2020 resultsAs secretary of state, Fort Worth attorney John Scott would oversee election administration in Texas.
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Days after disclosing election โauditsโ in four Texas counties, secretary of stateโs office gives some details of their scope
Read full article: Days after disclosing election โauditsโ in four Texas counties, secretary of stateโs office gives some details of their scopeThe state agency last week announced a โfull forensic auditโ in Harris, Dallas, Tarrant and Collin counties. But based on details released Tuesday, it appears the scope of the effort may be more limited than what the term may suggest.
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Texas county officials call election audits an unnecessary partisan ploy while voicing confidence in 2020 results
Read full article: Texas county officials call election audits an unnecessary partisan ploy while voicing confidence in 2020 resultsOfficials in some counties targeted by audits accuse Republican Texas leaders of pandering to conspiracy theorists and undermining faith in elections. They also say the secretary of stateโs office hasnโt provided details on what the audits entail.
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Texas Senate too late with hastily conjured bill allowing party officials to trigger audits of 2020 election
Read full article: Texas Senate too late with hastily conjured bill allowing party officials to trigger audits of 2020 electionThe bill, approved by the Senate and never considered by the House, would have allowed state and local party chairs to file requests to launch audits, but Republicans say the legislation would not have spawned a debacle akin to the controversial review underway in Arizona.
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Secretary of State Ruth Hughs, Texas' top elections official, to resign after Senate takes no action on her confirmation
Read full article: Secretary of State Ruth Hughs, Texas' top elections official, to resign after Senate takes no action on her confirmationThe Senate Nominations Committee never took up Hughsโ nomination, requiring her to leave office at the end of the legislative session.
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This is Texas' rule on selfies at polling stations
Read full article: This is Texas' rule on selfies at polling stationsWe understand documenting that youโve voted is important to a lot of people โ especially when you get that โI Votedโ sticker. You should be proud of yourself for casting your vote, but know that there are strict rules in some places when it comes to taking pictures at polling places. Here in Texas, we have some of the stricter restrictions concerning photos while voting, according to the Texas Secretary of State website. And if youโre thinking of going old school and taking an actual camera, the same restrictions apply there. When in doubt, just wait until youโre back in your car to snap that โI Votedโ sticker selfie.
Why are some Texans having trouble with voting machines? This is 2002 technology in 2018.
Read full article: Why are some Texans having trouble with voting machines? This is 2002 technology in 2018.Many Texas counties purchased their current electronic voting machines about 15 years ago. The manufacturer says that's important context as to why some voters have faced issues voting a straight-ticket ballot.