Fixing Texas’ ballot secrecy problems won’t be easy, experts say
The burden will fall on local officials to determine which records they’re obligated to release or redact. 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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![Elijah and Melissa Lillo leave the Phillip Center in Gastonia after casting their votes in the North Carolina primary on March 5, 2024.]()
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Voter advocacy groups ask feds to step in after Texas allowed some voters’ ballots to be identified
The request comes as state and local officials undermined ballot secrecy in their bids for election transparency. Full Story
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![People walk past a 'Vote Here' sign outside of the Austin Oaks Church on Mar. 1, 2024. Early voting ends today for the primaries.]()
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Texas conservatives want to end countywide voting. The costs could be high.
More than 80% of the state’s registered voters can cast their ballot anywhere in the county on election day. Scrapping that option could lead to disenfranchisement, experts say. Full Story
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![A voter walks past an election sign on his way to vote at Cavazos Middle School in Lubbock on Nov. 8, 2022.]()
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Texas tells local election officials to stop releasing information that exposes how some people vote
The 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. Full Story
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![A ballot is dropped in Austin in October, 2020.]()
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Top Texas election official acknowledges threats to ballot secrecy
Rules and practices meant to promote transparency also create vulnerabilities for voters, lawmakers were told. Full Story
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![Voters wait in line outside Cody Public Library in San Antonio during the evening hours of Election Day on Oct. 23, 2020.]()
Credit: Clint Datchuk for The Texas Tribune -
Texas officials compromised ballot secrecy as they increased election transparency
In limited instances, the choices some Texas voters make can later be identified using public, legally available data. Full Story
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![Super Tuesday voting lines at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center near downtown Houston on March 3, 2020.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Texas election chiefs face pressure to get details right after judge orders new election in close race
Some of the problems that prompted a judge to order a new election in a 2022 Harris County race occur often, especially in high-turnout elections, election officials said. Full Story
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![180th District Court Judge DaSean Jones, right, with his attorney at the Harris County Civil Courthouse on April 1, 2024.]()
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Gillespie County election costs balloon after switch to hand count
The bigger bill for the GOP primary in Gillespie County illustrates how election costs could rise if hand counting of ballots is widely adopted. Full Story
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![An election worker hand counts ballots inside of The Edge in Fredericksburg on Mar. 5, 2024. Many of the election workers had been counting since seven in the morning on Election Day.]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
With lawsuits and recount petitions rising, some Texas elections seem to go on forever
Courts are still working through election challenges brought as far back as 2021. Experts say the protracted fights threaten voter confidence. Full Story
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![Harris County Elections Staff members carry in and sort ballot bags at the Elections Technology Center in northwest Houston on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.]()
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In one Texas county, elections officials shoulder new costs and burdens to appease skeptics
Brazos County election officials are responding to demands from skeptical residents by expanding hand counts and ordering special paper. Full Story
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![Texas voters cast their ballots during Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023.]()
Credit: Photo illustration by Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune