“He had our back”: John Scott’s legacy as secretary of state will be his defense of local election officials
Thrust into the job at a contentious time, Scott believed defending the integrity of Texas elections was his top priority 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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![John Scott speaks to The Texas Tribune during an interview inside his office at the Capitol on Oct. 28, 2021, in Austin. Scott was appointed last week by Gov. Greg Abbott, and his appointment has been criticized after Scott's role in representing the Trump administration in a lawsuit challenging the 2020 election results.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Critics are pouncing on Harris County’s election fumbles, real and concocted, to fuel legal challenges
In the latest fallout from Election Day woes, a GOP judicial candidate is suing to overturn her loss, citing unspecified data and “2,000 reports” of polling place problems. Full Story
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![People cast their ballots at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center in Houston on Nov. 8, 2022.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Supreme Court orders Harris County to include more than 2,000 late-cast ballots in certified election results
After a last-minute challenge from the attorney general, county commissioners agreed to certify those provisional votes in time for the canvassing deadline. Full Story
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![Voters wait in line after 7 p.m at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center in Houston on Nov. 8, 2022. The polling location was one of the Harris County polling locations open until 8 PM on Election Day.]()
Credit: Briana Vargas for the Texas Tribune -
Here’s why we still don’t know what went wrong in Harris County on Election Day
The state’s biggest county has no central system for tracking problems, so it still can’t say how many polling places opened late, ran out of paper or worked just fine. Full Story
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![Ballot boxes and machines are organized in place after processing in Houston, Tuesday Nov 8, 2022 at central counting. (Michael Stravato for the Texas Tribune)]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
How this Texas elections official keeps the peace with right-wing voting activists
In the face of their suspicions and threats, Tarrant County Elections Administrator Heider Garcia didn’t fight back. He welcomed them in and listened. Full Story
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![Election Administrator Heider Garcia speaks to members of the ballot board in the central count station of the Tarrant County Election Administration building in Fort Worth on November 8, 2022.]()
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Voters of color had mail-in ballots rejected at higher rates than white voters in Texas’ March primary
Asian voters were most disproportionately affected by the new ID requirements included in voting restrictions passed by the 2021 Legislature, a Brennan Center for Justice analysis found. Full Story
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![Signs direct voters at the Harris County ballot drop-off site at NRG Stadium in Houston on Oct. 28, 2020.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Ruling in fluoride election lawsuit marks latest defeat for prominent Texas vote-fraud activist
Laura Pressley helped allies in Gillespie County challenge the results of a 2019 referendum over fluoride in tap water. A judge did not buy their claims of election irregularities. Full Story
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![Laura Pressley, a self-styled poll-watching expert and vocal opponent of electronic voting systems, waits with Jeannette Hormuth, a poll watcher during the 2019 special election, during an intermission of a trial disputing the integrity of a special election, held in November 2019 which concerned the vote to remove fluoride from the city’s water, at the Gillespie County Jail in Fredericksburg, on Oct. 10, 2022. The trial was ultimately ruled in favor of the city.]()
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In heated exchange, federal judge demands True the Vote identify who provided access to poll worker data
The Texas nonprofit has spread voter fraud conspiracy theories for years. Konnech Inc. accuses the organization of defamation and computer fraud in a lawsuit. Full Story
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![A bipartisan testing crew uses voting machines and tabulators during a state-mandated logic and accuracy test on Sept. 21 at the Hays County government building in San Marcos. Texas law requires public testing of the voting machines before and after every election.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Boisterous agitators disrupt Hays County election machine test, badger Texas secretary of state
“Can we go back to focusing on the testing please?” official pleads as crowd demands answers to conspiracy theories. Full Story
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![Secetary of State John Scott listens to members of the public while they ask questions about the voting during a state-mandated logic and accuracy test at the Hays County Government building in San Marcos on Sept. 21, 2022. Questions mainly revolved around the saftey of the procedure of the voting machines, and the precautions the department was taking to elliminate errors within the counting process.]()
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Lawsuit alleges Texas’ True the Vote hacked data and targeted small election vendor with racist, defamatory campaign
Case cites election integrity group’s own public claims that it stole data from Michigan company that makes software for managing poll workers. Full Story
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![Democratic primary voting in the West University area in Houston on Mar. 6, 2018.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune