Keeping an eye on voting rights and wrongs: I’m Alexa Ura, and I cover voting rights for The Texas Tribune.
As a beat reporter, it’s my responsibility to scrutinize the state’s actions on voting rights with the context of history in mind. Full Story
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Alexa Ura
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Alexa Ura reported for The Texas Tribune from 2013 to 2023. She covered the complex dynamics of race, ethnicity, wealth, poverty and power and how they are shaping the future of Texas and Texans, in the long and short term. Alexa started at the Tribune as a reporting intern before graduating from the University of Texas at Austin and joining the staff full time. Originally from Laredo on the Texas-Mexico border, she is a native Spanish speaker and is based in Austin.
Past Contributions
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Texas will end its botched voter citizenship review and rescind its list of flagged voters
The state had questioned the citizenship status of almost 100,000 registered voters, but many on the list turned out to be naturalized citizens. Full Story
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![Voters lined up at the Austin Community College Highland Campus in Austin for the first day of early voting on Oct. 24, 2016.]()
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Dallas-Fort Worth metro area saw biggest population growth in Texas in 2018
New population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show Texas dominated in growth, with suburban counties leading the way as the fastest growing. Full Story
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![Downtown Dallas, Texas.]()
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Texas defies congressional request for information on voter roll review
The U.S. House's main investigative committee had asked for documents and communications from state officials involved in the review. Full Story
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![Vote signs outside early voting locations in Austin on Feb. 23, 2014.]()
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U.S. House committee investigating Texas voter roll review
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform sent a letter to the state Thursday asking for documents related to the review. Full Story
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![Texas Secretary of State David Whitley at a state Senate Committee on Nominations hearing on Feb. 7, 2019. Whitley was appointed to the job by Gov. Greg Abbott, but Whitley must first clear the committee, then win a two-thirds vote in the full Texas Senate.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
These naturalized citizens belong on the Texas voter rolls. A state review could have kicked them off.
Hear from naturalized citizens whose voter eligibility was questioned as part of the state’s flawed review of the voter rolls. Full Story
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Credit: Jacob Villanueva / The Texas Tribune -
Texas counties removed 14 voters from the rolls in citizenship review
The voters flagged by the state as "possible non-U.S. citizens" have since been reinstated amid ongoing litigation that halted the review effort. Full Story
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![Long lines for the start of early voting snaked around the parking at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center near downtown Houston on Monday, Oct. 22, 2018.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
DPS director takes "full responsibility" for data errors in Texas voter citizenship review
Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, told lawmakers he was to blame for providing data to the secretary of state's office that led to the mistaken challenge of almost 25,000 registered voters. Full Story
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![Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw, testifies during Senate Education Committee on March 19th, 2013]()
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Texas again mistakenly flags voters for citizenship reviews
A spokesman for the secretary of state said a vendor is to blame for the voters being listed as potential noncitizens. The new names were mistakenly added while the state was testing its data. Full Story
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![Texas Flag and signs across street from Waxahachie parks and recreation voting place on Tuesday, March 6, 2018 — primary voting day in Texas.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
Amid voter rolls debacle, Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Texas Republicans are undermining the U.S. Constitution
Pelosi was in Austin to promote an election reform bill that would require local election officials to make it easier to vote. Full Story
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![House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-TX 35, hold a joint press conference on H.R. 1 on Mar. 5, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune