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Alexa Ura is an associate editor and reporter at The Texas Tribune. As the Tribune’s demographics reporter, she covers the intersection between politics and race with an emphasis on the state’s surging Hispanic population. She also covers voting rights issues for the Tribune, where she started as a reporting fellow in 2013. She’s a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.
Harris County's plan to send applications for mail-in ballots to all its voters was cleared by an intermediate appeals court, but it remains on hold until the Texas Supreme Court can rule. Full Story
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The Supreme Court granted the Texas attorney general’s request to temporarily halt the county’s mailing of applications while the case is appealed. A separate order blocking the effort was set to end this week. Full Story
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Democrats successfully sued last month to remove from the ballot the Green Party nominees for U.S. Senate, Railroad Commission and the 21st Congressional District. Full Story
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State district judge R.K. Sandill rejected the state's request for a temporary injunction to bar Harris County from pursuing its mailing plan. Full Story
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The Texas Democratic Party had challenged the state's age limits on voting by mail, arguing that they violated the 26th Amendment's protections against voting restrictions that discriminate based on age. Full Story
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Trump's bid to exclude undocumented immigrants from population counts for redistricting could cost Texas three seats in Congress. Thursday's ruling could still be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Full Story
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When local election officials throw out a mail-in ballot because they think a signature is suspect, the voter must have a meaningful chance to contest the decision, a federal judge ruled. Full Story
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Two civil rights groups and two Texas voters had asked a federal judge to require substantial changes to polling place procedures, including an across-the-board mask mandate and expanded curbside voting. Full Story
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What was once a lightly used and largely uncontroversial voting option in Texas, one even Republicans relied on, is now the crux of the latest fight over who gets to vote and, equally as crucial in a pandemic, who has access to safe voting. Full Story
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After rejecting efforts to spend state money on outreach to help ensure an accurate census count, Republican leaders are now dipping into federal coronavirus relief funds to pay for a last-minute ad campaign. Full Story
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The Texas secretary of state had threatened the legal action last week, but Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins indicated he would not drop his effort to send out absentee ballot applications to more than 2 million registered voters. Full Story
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A U.S. district judge found Texas is “legally obligated” to allow voters to simultaneously register to vote with every driver's license renewal or change-of-address application, and ordered the state to set up a “fully operable” online system by Sept. 23. Full Story
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The secretary of state's office threatened legal action against Harris County if it goes ahead with a plan to send applications for mail-in ballots to more than 2 million registered voters. Full Story
Not all of Harris County’s registered voters will ultimately qualify. Texas is among a handful of states with strict eligibility requirements to vote by mail. Full Story
Your questions answered about who qualifies, when to expect your ballot and how to make sure your vote counts. Full Story
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In Texas' major counties, almost 99% of mail-in ballots were counted during the July primary runoff election, a Tribune analysis shows. But election officials say postal service disarray and a record number of requests mean people should ask for their absentee ballots well before November's Election Day. Full Story
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On this week's Tribcast, Alexa talks to Matthew, Alex and Ross about Texans' role at the Democratic National Convention, a new front in the local control fight and what election mail concerns could mean for Texas. Full Story
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After the Trump administration announced an abrupt change to the census deadline, the largest county in Texas is among those suing to keep the count going until October. Full Story
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On this week's TribCast, Alexa talks to Matthew, Patrick and Cassi about the Biden campaign's recent activity in Texas, the fallout of a census undercount and early indications of what the legislative session might look like in a pandemic. Full Story
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The Census Bureau on Monday lopped a month off the time people have to respond to the 2020 count. Texas is already lagging behind the country in response rates, with low-income and Hispanic Texans at high risk of being missed. Full Story