What’s at stake in the long-awaited trial over Texas’s sweeping 2021 elections law
The GOP-backed Senate Bill 1 added voting restrictions that plaintiffs claim unfairly impacts voters of color. 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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![State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, speaks in favor of Senate Bill 1 on Aug. 11, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Certain Texas counties must increase voting locations despite a lack of buildings and workers
Elections officials say finding new buildings and volunteers will be difficult ahead of the 2024 general election. Full Story
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![A man pedals his bike away from the Bexar County Election headquarters in San Antonio casting his ballot. Nov. 3, 2020.]()
Credit: Robin Jerstad for The Texas Tribune -
Smaller Texas counties could face a poll worker shortage due to new state requirements
A law that will give voters more time to vote across the state means election offices have to find more workers. That isn’t an easy task in rural Texas. Full Story
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![Voters walk up to the New Berlin City Hall voting center to cast their vote on Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, in New Berlin, Texas.]()
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Harris County’s election chief remains in legal limbo after judge rules that lawmakers can’t dissolve the position
Republican lawmakers targeted the Harris County elections department during this year’s regular session after numerous issues arose out of the 2022 election. Full Story
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![Harris County Elections Staff members sort ballot bags at the Elections Technology Center in northwest Houston on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.]()
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Texas begins withdrawal from multistate partnership to clean voter rolls
A new GOP-backed state law requires Texas to create its own version of a cross-check program or find a vendor that doesn’t cost more than $100,000. Full Story
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![Voters check in with poll workers behind glass and cast ballots in booths spread apart in the gymnasium at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center for the delayed primary runoff election in Houston, on July 14, 2020.]()
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Texas Republican leaders want to improve elections in the state’s largest county. Their solution could backfire.
Unless a judge intervenes, Harris County is expected to dissolve its elections administration office later this year. The duties of running elections will once again be split between the county’s tax assessor and clerk. Full Story
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![Harris County Election Administrator Clifford Tatum speaks to the media on Nov. 8, 2022, at Harris County’s central count center at NRG Arena in Houston.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Voting by mail in Texas will get a little easier with these legislative fixes
Two bipartisan bills passed this session will give voters more time and opportunities to fix mistakes when they request and return ballots by mail. Full Story
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![The Travis County Tax Office at 5501 Airport Blvd is now the only drive-thru location open for hand delivery of mail ballots in the county. The drop-off location photographed here on Oct. 2, 2020, will be open until Nov. 3, 2020.]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott vetoes bill that would give people with disabilities new option to vote by mail
The bipartisan legislation was long sought by advocates for disabled voters, including some of the governor’s own allies. Full Story
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![Texas Gov. Greg Abbott gives a speech in the Senate chamber of the Texas Capitol on the opening day of the 2023 Legislature.]()
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Tarrant County picks deputy county clerk to run elections, eschewing GOP activist
The county’s Election Commission unanimously appointed Clinton Ludwig to the job. None of the three finalists had any election administration experience. Full Story
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![Cases of ballots and equipment at the Tarrant County Elections Administration building in Fort Worth, Texas. on May 6, 2023.]()
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GOP donor, voter fraud activist is a finalist to run elections in Tarrant County
Karen Wiseman previously sued former election administrator Heider Garcia and participated in a right-wing group’s search for 2020 voter fraud. She’s one of the three finalists, none of whom have experience running elections. Full Story
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![Karen Wiseman comments on an item concerning the current electronic poll book system in place during a Tarrant County Commissioners Court meeting in Fort Worth on April 18, 2023.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune