INSIDER
Texas withdraws request to block U.S. Justice Department from monitoring state’s elections
Read full article: Texas withdraws request to block U.S. Justice Department from monitoring state’s electionsThe federal agency agreed their monitors would remain outside polling locations and wouldn’t interfere with voting.
Texas lawmakers signal push to require proof of citizenship from voters
Read full article: Texas lawmakers signal push to require proof of citizenship from votersGov. Greg Abbott gave an inflated number of noncitizens removed from the state’s voter rolls, officials acknowledged, confirming findings by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune, and Votebeat.
Texas officials say they’ve scrubbed the voter rolls. Here’s how to check if you’re still on them.
Read full article: Texas officials say they’ve scrubbed the voter rolls. Here’s how to check if you’re still on them.The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 7. The Texas Tribune, ProPublica and Votebeat want to hear from people removed from voter rolls.
What documents tell us about the suspect in murder of Harris County Deputy Constable Maher Husseini
Read full article: What documents tell us about the suspect in murder of Harris County Deputy Constable Maher HusseiniAthir Murady is accused of gunning down Harris County Deputy Constable Maher Husseini at a traffic light in Houston on Tuesday.
Election experts cautious as Abbott touts voter roll purge
Read full article: Election experts cautious as Abbott touts voter roll purgeFederal and state law already required voter roll maintenance. Experts warn the governor’s framing of this routine process could be used to undermine trust in elections.
Texas will send inspectors to monitor 2024 elections in Harris County
Read full article: Texas will send inspectors to monitor 2024 elections in Harris CountyAn audit by the Texas Secretary of State’s Office found improved elections procedures, but the office is sending monitors because of past problems.
Texas tells local election officials to stop releasing information that exposes how some people vote
Read full article: Texas tells local election officials to stop releasing information that exposes how some people voteThe 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.
Texas officials compromised ballot secrecy as they increased election transparency
Read full article: Texas officials compromised ballot secrecy as they increased election transparencyIn limited instances, the choices some Texas voters make can later be identified using public, legally available data.
Most 18-year-old Texans aren’t signed up to vote despite a law requiring voter registration in high schools
Read full article: Most 18-year-old Texans aren’t signed up to vote despite a law requiring voter registration in high schoolsVoting is habit-forming and high schools are critical for starting that pattern.
‘Multiple failures’: Texas Secretary of State releases preliminary findings on Harris County election audit
Read full article: ‘Multiple failures’: Texas Secretary of State releases preliminary findings on Harris County election auditTexas Secretary of State Jane Nelson has released preliminary findings from the state’s audit of the November 2022 election in Harris County.
Kyle Rittenhouse launches nonprofit with far-right Texans as he ramps up political engagement in the state
Read full article: Kyle Rittenhouse launches nonprofit with far-right Texans as he ramps up political engagement in the stateThe activist known for shooting Black Lives Matter protesters in 2020 has created the Rittenhouse Foundation, which promises to fight for gun rights and includes leaders who have close ties to ultraconservative megadonors from West Texas.
Abbott taps John Scott, former Texas secretary of state, as interim attorney general
Read full article: Abbott taps John Scott, former Texas secretary of state, as interim attorney generalScott, a former deputy attorney general, will run the agency because Ken Paxton has been suspended from office until his impeachment trial before the Texas Senate.
Texas Senate confirms Jane Nelson as secretary of state
Read full article: Texas Senate confirms Jane Nelson as secretary of stateNelson’s former colleagues in the Senate gave her resounding approval, avoiding another embarrassment for Gov. Greg Abbott, whose last three nominations for secretary of state did not receive confirmation.
Aging state vehicle fleet fuels tens of millions in new money requests by agencies
Read full article: Aging state vehicle fleet fuels tens of millions in new money requests by agenciesMany state-owned vehicles are aging past the standards for replacement. Early budget drafts signal that lawmakers are considering funding some $237.6 million in requests for new ones.
Texas elections secure despite COVID-related ‘irregularities’ in 2020, audit finds
Read full article: Texas elections secure despite COVID-related ‘irregularities’ in 2020, audit findsFour Texas counties were evaluated in a 359-page audit released by Secretary of State John Scott on Monday, two weeks before he steps down as chief election official.
Election results for Texas Governor, Lt. Governor, and other statewide offices in the Nov. 8, 2022 midterms
Read full article: Election results for Texas Governor, Lt. Governor, and other statewide offices in the Nov. 8, 2022 midtermsThe 2022 General Election is being held on November 8. You can find results for Texas Governor, Lt. Governor, and other statewide offices in the midterm elections on Tuesday night here.
Texas Secretary of State John Scott says our elections are secure, but he sometimes muddles that message
Read full article: Texas Secretary of State John Scott says our elections are secure, but he sometimes muddles that messageHeading into the midterm elections, Scott has repeatedly insisted that Joe Biden is the rightful president and that Texas’ elections are free, fair and secure. But his delivery has been at times ambiguous and given oxygen to election misinformation.
The Texas voter registration deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 11. Here’s how to check your status and register.
Read full article: The Texas voter registration deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 11. Here’s how to check your status and register.How do I find out if I’m registered to vote? How do I register to vote in the first place? Who is eligible to register to vote?
Appeals court allows Texas to withhold list of people it thinks are noncitizens and can’t vote
Read full article: Appeals court allows Texas to withhold list of people it thinks are noncitizens and can’t voteThe appellate court reversed a previous ruling that found that Texas violated federal law by refusing to release the list. The suit was brought by five civil rights groups that sought to hold Texas accountable if it disenfranchised naturalized citizens.
Paxton legal opinion giving public immediate access to ballots jeopardizes election security and invites lawsuits, experts say
Read full article: Paxton legal opinion giving public immediate access to ballots jeopardizes election security and invites lawsuits, experts sayAttorney general’s opinion invites lawsuits over long-established ballot security and sets up election officials for possible criminal charges.
Partisan spats over vote counting mean Harris County’s election results will likely be late again
Read full article: Partisan spats over vote counting mean Harris County’s election results will likely be late againWaiting for final results from Houston and Harris County has become an unwelcome Texas political ritual. The county’s sheer size is part of the problem, but so is party squabbling over counting procedures.
At least 18,000 Texas mail-in votes were rejected in the first election under new GOP voting rules
Read full article: At least 18,000 Texas mail-in votes were rejected in the first election under new GOP voting rulesIn just 16 of the state’s largest counties, more than 18,000 mail-in ballots were rejected, most for failing to meet the new law’s ID requirements. A full statewide tally isn’t yet available.
Thousands of Texas mail-in votes still in jeopardy under new GOP voting restrictions
Read full article: Thousands of Texas mail-in votes still in jeopardy under new GOP voting restrictionsHow many voters were effectively disenfranchised by new ID requirements for mail-in voting won’t be known for another week. Voters can still try to correct defective ballots.
Here’s who Texas voters chose as party nominees for the 2022 midterm election
Read full article: Here’s who Texas voters chose as party nominees for the 2022 midterm electionGet The Texas Tribune’s coverage of election results for the 2022 primary races for governor, attorney general, U.S. House and the Texas Legislature.
Partisan tactic by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s campaign delays thousands of requests for mail-in ballots from Texas voters
Read full article: Partisan tactic by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s campaign delays thousands of requests for mail-in ballots from Texas votersPatrick’s mass mailing urging voters to apply for mail-in ballots included return envelopes addressed to the Texas secretary of state’s office. The applications are supposed to be sent to local offices, but Patrick’s campaign says voters don’t trust election officials in Democratic counties.
Nearly 18% of registered Texas voters cast 2022 primary ballots
Read full article: Nearly 18% of registered Texas voters cast 2022 primary ballotsTexas has a history of a dismal turnout rate in primary elections. This year’s turnout was higher than the last six midterm primaries. Still, less than 1 in 5 registered voters participated.
Vote-by-mail rejections are testing integrity of Texas Republicans’ voting law
Read full article: Vote-by-mail rejections are testing integrity of Texas Republicans’ voting lawWith less than a month left to vote by mail in the March primary election, hundreds of applications for mail-in ballots are being rejected as both Texas voters and local election officials decipher new ID requirements enacted by Republican lawmakers.
Texas’ primary election is March 1. Here’s what you need to know to vote.
Read full article: Texas’ primary election is March 1. Here’s what you need to know to vote.The last day to register to vote was Jan. 31. The last day to apply for a ballot by mail is Feb. 18. Early voting runs from Feb. 14-25.
Hundreds of mail-in ballot applications are being rejected under Texas’ new voting rules
Read full article: Hundreds of mail-in ballot applications are being rejected under Texas’ new voting rulesTexas Republicans last year enacted new identification requirements for voting by mail as part of sweeping legislation that further restricted the state’s voting process and narrowed local control of elections.
First part of Texas’ 2020 election audit reveals few issues, echoes findings from review processes already in place
Read full article: First part of Texas’ 2020 election audit reveals few issues, echoes findings from review processes already in placeAn initial review of four counties’ election results — launched after pressure from former President Donald Trump and touted by GOP leaders — showed few discrepancies between electronic and hand counts of ballots in a sample of voting precincts.
Texas’ renewed voter citizenship review is still flagging citizens as “possible non-U.S. citizens”
Read full article: Texas’ renewed voter citizenship review is still flagging citizens as “possible non-U.S. citizens”The secretary of state’s office says it is following the legal settlement agreement it entered in 2019 after botching its first review effort. But scores of citizens are still being marked for citizenship verification — and possible removal from the rolls.
Texas’ new secretary of state doesn’t deny Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, but he’s still prioritizing an election audit
Read full article: Texas’ new secretary of state doesn’t deny Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, but he’s still prioritizing an election auditJohn Scott briefly represented Donald Trump's legal effort to challenge the election results in Pennsylvania. In an interview, he said there’s no question that Joe Biden is the president and he has “not seen anything” to suggest the election was stolen.
Gov. Greg Abbott’s pick for top Texas election post worked with Trump to fight 2020 results
Read full article: Gov. Greg Abbott’s pick for top Texas election post worked with Trump to fight 2020 resultsAs secretary of state, Fort Worth attorney John Scott would oversee election administration in Texas.
Days after disclosing election “audits” in four Texas counties, secretary of state’s office gives some details of their scope
Read full article: Days after disclosing election “audits” in four Texas counties, secretary of state’s office gives some details of their scopeThe state agency last week announced a “full forensic audit” in Harris, Dallas, Tarrant and Collin counties. But based on details released Tuesday, it appears the scope of the effort may be more limited than what the term may suggest.
Texas county officials call election audits an unnecessary partisan ploy while voicing confidence in 2020 results
Read full article: Texas county officials call election audits an unnecessary partisan ploy while voicing confidence in 2020 resultsOfficials in some counties targeted by audits accuse Republican Texas leaders of pandering to conspiracy theorists and undermining faith in elections. They also say the secretary of state’s office hasn’t provided details on what the audits entail.
Texas Senate too late with hastily conjured bill allowing party officials to trigger audits of 2020 election
Read full article: Texas Senate too late with hastily conjured bill allowing party officials to trigger audits of 2020 electionThe bill, approved by the Senate and never considered by the House, would have allowed state and local party chairs to file requests to launch audits, but Republicans say the legislation would not have spawned a debacle akin to the controversial review underway in Arizona.
Secretary of State Ruth Hughs, Texas’ top elections official, to resign after Senate takes no action on her confirmation
Read full article: Secretary of State Ruth Hughs, Texas’ top elections official, to resign after Senate takes no action on her confirmationThe Senate Nominations Committee never took up Hughs’ nomination, requiring her to leave office at the end of the legislative session.
This is Texas' rule on selfies at polling stations
Read full article: This is Texas' rule on selfies at polling stationsWe understand documenting that you’ve voted is important to a lot of people — especially when you get that “I Voted” sticker. You should be proud of yourself for casting your vote, but know that there are strict rules in some places when it comes to taking pictures at polling places. Here in Texas, we have some of the stricter restrictions concerning photos while voting, according to the Texas Secretary of State website. And if you’re thinking of going old school and taking an actual camera, the same restrictions apply there. When in doubt, just wait until you’re back in your car to snap that “I Voted” sticker selfie.
Ask 2: Since straight-ticket voting has been eliminated in Texas, will party affiliation be listed next to each candidate?
Read full article: Ask 2: Since straight-ticket voting has been eliminated in Texas, will party affiliation be listed next to each candidate?Question: Since they are removing the straight-ticket voting, will the party affiliation be listed next to each candidate? In Harris County, party affiliations will be provided in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese, according to the county’s sample ballot. House Bill 25, which eliminated straight-ticket voting, also known as straight-party voting, was introduced in the 85th Texas legislative session in 2017 and became effective Sept. 1, 2020. Here’s a direct link to sample ballot access of counties in our area:To view your county’s sample ballot, visit the county’s official website. For more information about voting in Texas, contact the Texas Secretary of State office at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683).
Ask 2: Where can I get a mail-in ballot?
Read full article: Ask 2: Where can I get a mail-in ballot?As part of our Ask 2 series, the newsroom will answer your questions about all things Houston. The question: Where can I get a mail-in ballot? The answer: You can get a mail-in ballot for the upcoming election, but you need to be eligible. Instructions on how to fill out your mail-in ballot request can be found here. Send it our way, and we will try to hunt down an answer.