Texas counties struggle to process voter registrations using state’s new system
State officials push back on complaints about software problems. Meanwhile, unprocessed applications are piling up. Full Story
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Natalia Contreras covers election administration and voting access for Votebeat in partnership with The Texas Tribune. She has covered a range of topics as a community journalist including local government, public safety, immigration and social issues. Natalia previously reported for the Austin American-Statesman, focusing on impacts of government policies on communities of color. Natalia previously worked at the Indianapolis Star, where she helped launch the first Spanish-language newsletter, and at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. She was born in Tampico, Tamaulipas in Mexico and grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas. She is based in Corpus Christi.
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![Lily Trieu, interim executive director of Asian Texans for Justice (ATJ), who produced a report researching Asian voters, holds a voter registration card in her home in Austin on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022. Asian communities are growing rapidly in Texas, but still feel left out of the political process.]()
Credit: May-Ying Lam for The Texas Tribune -
Some Texas counties replace touchscreen voting machines after Trump order
Collin, Bastrop and Williamson counties say they’re proactively changing their voting procedures and equipment following a federal attempt to limit barcodes or QR codes on paper ballots. Full Story
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![Voters head to the polls on the last day of early voting in Collin County on Oct. 30, 2020.]()
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Texas lawmakers to consider restoring limits on late voter registration changes
Legislation pushed by Gov. Greg Abbott would bar voters at the polls from immediately casting a ballot based on a last-minute update to their address. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott addresses law enforcement officials during a Southwestern Border Sheriff’s Coalition event in Austin on April 29, 2025.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas Tribune -
How Texas’ mid-decade redistricting could affect voters in one Houston community
The congressional seat in Texas’ 18th District, a hub of Black political power, has been vacant for months. Redistricting could further disrupt representation for its voters. Full Story
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![Former state Rep., Houston Mayor and U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner addresses the crowd gathered on steps of Houston’s City Hall in support of a 10,000 Black Men rally on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. Turner, who died in March, represented Houston's Congressional District 18.]()
Credit: Douglas Sweet Jr. for The Texas Tribune -
Justice Department presses Texas for list of registered voters and the officials who check it
For now, the state is holding off on fulfilling the request while it switches to a new voter registration management system. Full Story
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![The line wraps around the sidewalk at the Cinco Ranch Branch Library on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Ft Bend County.]()
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Heider Garcia resigns as Dallas County elections chief
The election official, who previously worked in Tarrant County, won praise for pushing back on misinformation. Full Story
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![Tarrant County Elections Administrator Heider Garcia talks with ballot box workers inside the Tarrant County's central count station on election night. on May 6, 2023.]()
Credit: Azul Sordo for The Texas Tribune -
Texas redistricting standoff complicates preparations for March 2026 primary
New maps would mean months of work for election officials, and key deadlines are approaching. Full Story
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![Voters line up to cast their ballots at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Austin on Election Day, Nov. 8, 2022.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Local Texas election officials concerned about software vendors’ financial scare
Votec, maker of voter registration management software used in Texas’ largest counties, has thrown election officials for a loop with mixed messages about its financial viability. Full Story
![Lily Trieu, interim executive director of Asian Texans for Justice (ATJ), who produced a report researching Asian voters, holds a voter registration card in her home in Austin on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022. Asian communities are growing rapidly in Texas, but still feel left out of the political process.]()
Credit: May-Ying Lam for The Texas Tribune -
As Texas embraces federal immigration database to verify voter citizenship, some experts are worried
Texas officials praise the revamped immigration database, but some critics are raising concerns about data privacy and accuracy. Full Story
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![A poll pad with an ID check-in is active before Gillespie Co. residents check in for a mock election hosted on Feb. 6, 2024. The poll pad is used for voter check in and verification for county and precinct.]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
Ken Paxton investigating “potential noncitizens” for voting in 2020 and 2022 election cycles
Most of those voters are in Harris County, home to Houston. Noncitizen voting is illegal and documented instances are rare. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton fields questions at the Frisco Gun Club during a press conference announcing his intent to sue the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on May 1, 2024. This comes after the Justice Department announced a new rule requiring all gun sellers to conduct federal background checks on buyers, closing what is known as the “gun show loophole”.]()
Credit: Azul Sordo for The Texas Tribune