Needing Democratic support, Texas' secretary of state faces a rocky path to confirmation
Republican David Whitley faces questions from Democrats about how he handled an attempt to review the citizenship of 95,000 registered Texas voters. 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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![Secretary of State David Whitley.]()
Credit: Image via Gov. Greg Abbott's Twitter account. -
Another group of civil rights organizations sues Texas over voter citizenship review
The ACLU and others are asking a federal court to block counties from sending notices requiring certain voters to prove their citizenship. Full Story
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![Early voters line up to cast their ballot at the LBJ Student Center at Texas State University in San Marcos on Friday, Nov. 2, 2018.]()
Credit: Mikala Compton for The Texas Tribune -
Naturalized citizens suing over Texas voter citizenship review, calling it conspiracy to single out foreign-born Texans
The plaintiffs allege the state's move to flag tens of thousands of registered voters for citizenship reviews violates the U.S. Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act. Full Story
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![Vote signs outside early voting locations in Austin on Feb. 23, 2014.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond for The Texas Tribune -
Naturalized citizen flagged in Texas voter citizenship review joins lawsuit against state
Atascosa County resident Julie Hilberg — a naturalized citizen whose registration was flagged by the state — is joining a lawsuit against top Texas officials. Full Story
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Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
In advisory, Texas implies its list of thousands of voters flagged for citizenship reviews could include naturalized citizens
Those citizens are in addition to the people who were removed from the list earlier this week after the secretary of state's office found they had been added by mistake. Full Story
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![U.S. Citizenship and Naturalization Services N-400 form for application for naturalization. Jan. 30, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
"Someone did not do their due diligence": How an attempt to review Texas' voter rolls turned into a debacle
Texas officials flagged 95,000 voters for citizenship reviews. But after thousands have already been cleared, questions are being raised about how they handled the process. Full Story
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![Texans cast their votes at the start of early voting at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center near downtown Houston on Monday, Oct. 22, 2018.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Greg Abbott downplays concerns about inaccuracy of secretary of state's voter citizenship review
The Texas governor said Thursday that the 95,000 voters that the secretary of state flagged for review was never meant to be a "hard-and-fast list." Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a joint press conference at the capitol to address property tax reform. Jan. 31, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
Texas quietly informs counties that some of the 95,000 voters flagged for citizenship review don't belong on the list
County officials said the number mistakenly flagged is "significant." Full Story
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![A "vote" sign in a yard in west Austin on March 6, 2018.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Latino civil rights group sues over Texas voter citizenship review, calling it an "election-related 'witch hunt'"
The lawsuit comes after at least one county has begun sending notices asking certain voters to prove that they are citizens. Full Story
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![A long line of voters wait to cast their ballots at the Wonderland of the Americas Mall in San Antonio late Friday afternoon, Nov. 2, the last day of early voting.]()
Credit: Robin Jerstad for The Texas Tribune -
Some Texas voters already are being asked to prove their citizenship after state's announcement
The Texas Tribune reached out Monday to 13 of the 15 counties with the most registered voters; only Galveston County indicated it would immediately send out letters asking voters for proof of citizenship. Full Story
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Credit: Waylon Cunningham for the Texas Tribune