This East Texas town hasn’t held a city council election in at least 18 years
In Kennard, City Council members have been appointed after previous members retired or died. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0fd65c70cad3eb29224d6a59a07d0ec0/0411%20Kennard%20Democracy%20CO%20TT%2018.jpg)
Featured coverage
Latest coverage
-
Abortion, the economy, immigration and transgender rights: Voters across Texas explain their vote
Texans from across the state went to the polls early with plenty on their mind. The Texas Tribune partnered with other news organizations to hear from a diverse cross-section of voters. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/9f10323b94f3cf07620e9c33a92bb8aa/1022%20EARLY%20VOTING%20MCALLEN%20VCG%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Political signs outside the polling site at the Lark Branch Library in McAllen on Oct. 22, 2024.]()
Credit: Verónica Gabriel Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune -
9 million Texans voted early in 2024. Here’s how that compares to previous years.
The turnout rate dropped more than 8 percentage points compared to four years ago — a high-water mark for the Lone Star State. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d8bdfedc623ddaf4fe7d05431feed125/1021%20Early%20Voting%20East%20TX%20MC%20TT%2016.jpg)
![Voters visit the Gilmer Civic Center during the first day of early voting on Monday October 21, 2024, in Gilmer.]()
Credit: Michael Cavazos for The Texas Tribune -
Texas’ high housing costs sparked a movement to bring them down. The fight could shape the state for years to come.
A new breed of activists wants Texas to tame costs by building more housing. But longstanding opposition to such policies remains strong. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/f35e56e868fe90c2e4796c3e4504b043/0516%20Austin%20City%20Council%20Housing%20MC%20TT%2009.jpg)
![Council members and Austin Mayor Kirk Watson are present in person during the Austin city council meeting on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in Austin. Zohaib "Zo" Qadri, Paige Ellis, Mackenzie Kelly, Mayor Pro Tem Leslie Pool and José "Chito" Vela were in person with Mayor Kirk Watson]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune
-
As Texas refuses online voter registration, paper applications get lost
Some people who filled out forms find out too late that they never made it onto the rolls. State lawmakers have resisted efforts to expand online options. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d94352c5add55ceed7cde826198a6c11/VB_10042024_GabrielCardenas_HannahMurry_04.jpg)
![Hannah Murry, 21, on the campus of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, where she is a student. (Gabriel Cárdenas for Votebeat)]()
Credit: Gabriel Cárdenas for Votebeat -
Texas turnout rate slightly down after first three days of early voting
State data shows just two of Texas’ most populous counties have surpassed their voter turnout rate in 2020. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/1c3ebdbace06798cc37f46624e132ff2/1021%20Early%20Voting%20Ft%20Bend%20AM%20TT%2002.jpg)
![Voters line up outside of the Rosenberg Annex as early voting begins in Texas on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Rosenberg.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
“More than our wombs”: Women in conservative Texas cities mobilizing to end GOP dominance
Democrats in Lubbock and Amarillo hope Kamala Harris’ candidacy and a backlash to abortion laws will help make their long-held vision of a blue wave a reality. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/e9f943b8bc91775698fda315df4fc6c0/1013%20Women%20and%20Harris%20AR%2007.jpg)
![Texas State Board of Education District 15 candidate Morgan Kirkpatrick, center, hosts a postcard-writing campaign, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, at the Mahon Public Library in Lubbock.]()
Credit: Annie Rice for The Texas Tribune -
In Texas’ biggest purple county, this far-right Republican is creating a playbook for local governing
From cutting social services to changing election rules, Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare has pushed his agenda with an uncompromising approach. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/cbad68104aec576a913fde3981c1bb51/0418%20Tarrrant%20Co%20CommCo%20ST%2023.JPG)
![Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare listens to Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks after Brooks tells the attendees of the meeting that O’Hare “broke the system” in Fort Worth on April 18, 2023. Following a conversation between O’Hare and Elections Administrator Heider Garcia, Garcia announced his resignation. O’Hare denied responsibility, saying “I did not ask Heider to resign. I did not put pressure on Heider to resign. I did not threaten to fire Heider, I did not threaten to bring him before the election commission for review to determine if he would keep his employment. He chose to resign on his own.”]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Free speech or political intimidation? A jury says this Trump Train organizer crossed the line.
Eliazar Cisneros was accused of organizing and participating in a Trump Train that used harassment and intimidation to prevent others from exercising their support for a candidate. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b821650dc6327289eb99331277c27266/Eliazar%20Cisneros%20REUTERS%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Defendant Eliazar Cisneros leaves the courtroom after Trump Train trial at the United States Courthouse in downtown Austin Monday September 23, 2024. The seven-member jury ordered Cisneros, a chef and Navy veteran, to pay the bus's driver, Tim Holloway, $10,000 in compensatory damages. It also levied $30,000 in punitive damages against Cisneros, to be shared among the plaintiffs.]()
Credit: USA TODAY NETWORK via Reuters Co -
At this South Texas political convention, everyone has a voice, regardless of legal status
Inspired by the work of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, the biennial “cumbre” helps South Texans organize for political change. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/fd458ca44369c1a3f7e0dc01bfceb68f/LUPE%20Cumbre%20VGC%20TT%2032.jpg)
![People cast their votes for the topics that they are interested in LUPE focusing on for the next two years during the Cumbre de Miembros 2024 in San Juan, Texas on Sept. 14, 2024.
Verónica Gabriela Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Verónica Gabriela Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune -
At this West Texas church, “the Lord’s work” is helping the poor, not rewriting state law
Led by co-pastors Joe and Dawn Weaks, Connection Christian Church, a 118-year-old congregation in Odessa, has transformed while keeping true to its legacy of helping the community. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/eee139b714592cf08c408110a65eaa5e/0811%20Odessa%20Church%20EH%2044.jpg)
![Pastor Dawn Weaks leads her congregation in prayer during a blessing of the backpacks ceremony for the start of the new school year at Connection Christian Church Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Odessa.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Tribune voting resources
View and easily share in-depth voter guides by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/363237efed836addd4cda2917d21c442/San%20Marcos%20Election%20Day%20JV%20TT%2023.jpg)
![Voters wait to cast their ballots at the Dittmar Recreation Center in South Austin on March 1, 2022.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Here’s how to vote in the Texas 2024 election
Election Day is Nov. 5. Here is everything you need to know about casting a ballot in Texas. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/9d1c0e497f5c9cb2e82e6efa1f2b3b47/Elect24-GeneralBallot-Lead-v1.png)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
How Texans with disabilities can vote in the November election
All Texas voters with disabilities have the right to accessible voting options, whether in person or by mail. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/8992f88463f4d3d651a0c620a113f73c/1107%20Election%20Day%20Houston%20AM%20TT%2015.jpg)
![Curbside voting during Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023 in Houston.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Here’s how to vote by mail in Texas for the November 2024 election
The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is Oct. 25. The deadline for mail-in ballots to be returned or postmarked is Nov. 5, unless it is from an overseas voter. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/ebc4c03df183c4b98f554f25e85b2a71/Mail%20in%20Ballot%20Form%20Voting%20MG%20TT%2007.jpg)
![A mail-in ballot application.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas voter guide for college students
The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 7. The last day to apply to vote by mail is Oct. 25. Early voting in person is from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/a583496a504746f777208cbad63e28aa/UTEP%20Early%20Voting%20PR%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Dance majors from the Department of Theater and Dance perform under a banner encouraging students to vote at the Union Building at the University of Texas at El Paso in El Paso on Oct. 25, 2022.]()
Credit: Paul Ratje for The Texas Tribune -
In Texas, violating campaign ethics laws rarely yields repercussions. The attorney general’s office is to blame.
The number of fines for breaking state campaign ethics laws has exploded in recent years as Ken Paxton’s office rarely pursues stricter enforcement. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0466214badf974792da1108e941d1d9b/0326%20Paxton%20Pretrial%20DV%2005.JPG)
![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton enters the 185th Criminal District court at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center for a pretrial hearing in his securities fraud case on March 26, 2024, in Houston.]()
Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribune -
In Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, a push for more direct democracy
Ground Game Texas, a group that has pushed for progressive policies in cities across the state, is working to make it easier for McAllen residents to change local laws. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/917d7c9660de113228e2c77b0808abe5/0523%20McAllen%20Ground%20Game%20MG%20TT%2004.jpg)
![Karen Salazar, center, campaign manager for Ground Game Texas, and field organizers Elena Pacheco, left, and Jimena Rodriguez in a McAllen neighborhood on May 23, 2024. They were gathering signatures for a petition to amend the city charter to limit campaign contributions.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/2806c839aca69237cac93e26e385c857/First%20Day%20Mail-In%20Ballots%20AI%20TT%2013.jpg)
![A ballot is dropped in Austin in October, 2020.]()
Credit: Amna Ijaz/The Texas Tribune -
How a chance meeting helped Texas become the nation’s top beekeeping state
Twelve years after a state law gave tax breaks for keeping bees on at least five acres, people are still getting into the trade — or throwing in the towel and hiring professionals to do it for them. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b033aeb084ee5e515fb0ee2abc2a3c61/0510%20Beekeeping%20Field%20Day%20JV%2006.jpg)
![A student learns how to inspect a hive of bees at Entomolgist Molly Keck’s house during a bee keeping class in Boerne on Friday, May 10, 2024]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar 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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c7a03aea97ac30309fa500083dec476a/Super%20Tuesday%20Houston%20MS%20TT%2008.jpg)
![Super Tuesday voting lines at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center near downtown Houston on March 3, 2020.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune