Texas’ massive early voting numbers have persisted, leading to predictions of overall turnout unseen in years

Latest News

• Texas COVID-19 hospitalizations and new cases are both at levels not seen since August

  by Texas Tribune Staff Updated: 6 hours ago

  The state reported 4,995 people currently hospitalized in Texas due to the coronavirus, an increase of 720 patients from a week ago. Full Story 

• Here's how many Texans have voted early in the 2020 general election

  by Mandi Cai Updated: 11 hours ago

  Through Oct. 23, 6.9 million Texans, or 40.4% of the state's registered voters, had cast their ballots in the 2020 general election. The Texas Tribune will continue to track cumulative early voting and mail-in ballot totals. Full Story 

• Order allowing Texas counties to have multiple mail-in ballot drop off sites is upheld, but appeal halts openings

  by Jolie McCullough Updated: Oct. 24, 2020

  The state is continuing to fight a Travis County district court's ruling that overrode Gov. Greg Abbott's order limiting counties to one absentee ballot drop-off location. Full Story 

• Here's what early voting in Texas looks like during an election unlike any other

  by Texas Tribune Photo Team Oct. 24, 2020

  Extended by a week because of the pandemic, early voting has been marked by extraordinary turnout, long, socially distanced lines and masked voters. Our photographers have fanned out across the state to capture Texans as they cast their ballots. Full Story 

• He had a state-issued voter ID and says he still got flagged casting his ballot

  by Alana Rocha, Todd Wiseman and Justin Dehn Oct. 24, 2020

  Mike Wright says nothing made sense, and even the poll workers couldn’t explain it. But like millions of Texas voters this cycle, Wright says he was determined to cast his ballot. Listen in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast. Full Story 

• Pointing to pandemic and election controversies, Democrats make their case for Texas Supreme Court

  by Emma Platoff Oct. 24, 2020

  Democrats argue the high court's pandemic-related decisions show GOP incumbents should be unseated in November. Republicans say the virus is another argument for sticking with the status quo. Full Story 

• Democratic state Rep. Senfronia Thompson files to run for speaker of the Texas House

  by Cassandra Pollock Oct. 23, 2020

  Thompson would be the first woman elected speaker. She filed less than two weeks before an election in which Democrats hope to gain control of the chamber. Full Story 

• Sick Texans seeking late absentee ballots still need a doctor’s note, Texas appeals court rules

  by Jolie McCullough Oct. 23, 2020

  A state district court judge had ruled against the longstanding requirement for a doctor's note to ask for an emergency absentee ballot, saying many people who test positive for the coronavirus don’t interact with a physician. Full Story 

• Watch: Republican Tony Gonzales, a candidate for TX-23, discusses health care, coronavirus and immigration

  by Kelsey Carolan Updated: Oct. 23, 2020

  Gonzales is running against Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones in the race to replace U.S. Rep. Will Hurd. Full Story 

• Judge rules Ken Paxton's 5-year-old criminal case can be heard in his hometown of Collin County

  by Emma Platoff Oct. 23, 2020

  The Harris County judge’s order reverses a decision that the state’s top lawyer should not face a jury in the North Texas region where he and his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, are deeply connected in political circles. Full Story 

• Critics urge Texas regulators to reverse decision allowing social workers to turn away clients who are LGBTQ or have a disability

  by Shawn Mulcahy Oct. 23, 2020

  Lawmakers plan to file a bill during the 2021 session to bolster the state's nondiscrimination protections. Full Story 

• The attorney general's office has sidelined four of the seven whistleblowers who reported Ken Paxton to law enforcement

  by Emma Platoff Oct. 23, 2020

  Two were fired and two placed on leave — moves employment attorneys say will likely spark a whistleblower lawsuit. A spokesperson for Paxton said the personnel changes were not related to the whistleblower allegations. Full Story 

• Alarming failure rates among Texas students fuel calls to get them back into classrooms

  by Aliyya Swaby Oct. 23, 2020

  Most schools hoped this fall would see students make up academic ground lost last spring when the pandemic hit. Instead, districts are looking for ways to reverse plummeting grades and attendance among students learning at home. Full Story 

• Analysis: Money counts in Texas elections, but timing matters, too

  by Ross Ramsey Oct. 23, 2020

  MJ Hegar's challenge of U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has attracted millions of dollars in financial support, most of it late in the race. She's now in better financial shape than the incumbent, but time is running short. Full Story 

• Donald Trump and Joe Biden sparred over Texas’ energy industry and global warming during final presidential debate

  by Abby Livingston Oct. 22, 2020

  In debating a major Texas industry, Trump emphasized economic priorities while Biden advocated for alternate means of energy besides oil and gas. Full Story 

• MJ Hegar raised nearly three times as much as John Cornyn in the first two weeks of October

  by Patrick Svitek Oct. 22, 2020

  Hegar also expanded her cash-on-hand advantage in the U.S. Senate race in Texas. Full Story