Texas has added 1.8 million registered voters. Where they are shows how the state has become more competitive.
Most of the new voters registered in the state's fast-growing urban counties or suburbs. Full Story
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![Some voters waited for more than three hours to cast their ballot at a shopping center in South Austin on the first day of early voting.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Miles to go before they vote: Without absentee ballots, displaced Texans cross the country to vote at home
Worried because their absentee ballots never arrived, two American University students rented a Volkswagen Golf and drove 30 hours across half a dozen states to cast their votes in Texas this week. Full Story
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![Zachary Houdek drove from Washington, D.C., where he is currently enrolled in college, back home to Austin to cast his vote for the 2020 general election. He did not trust that his absentee ballot would arrive in time to be counted.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Point of Order: The state of the race for Texas House speaker
In the latest episode of our podcast about the Texas Legislature, Evan Smith and Ross Ramsey discuss the contours of the speaker’s race. Full Story
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Texas Democrats think a seat on the oil and gas regulating board could be their best chance of winning statewide in two decades
With attention on Texas races up and down the ballot, a virtually unknown Republican candidate and big-time donations to the Democratic nominee, Democrats think they have a shot of winning a seat on the Railroad Commission. Full Story
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![Seal of the Railroad Commission of Texas.]()
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More than 9 million Texans have cast ballots so far, surpassing the state’s total votes cast in 2016
Texas’ population is growing, and it extended its early voting period this year due to the coronavirus. Experts are predicting the percent of registered voters who cast ballots this year will be higher than it has been for years. Full Story
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![Voters wait in line to cast their ballots on day one of early voting in at the Sunland Park Mall indoor voting site in El Paso on Oct. 13, 2020.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
Collin County is the center of a political storm as the Texas suburbs become more competitive for Democrats
A Republican stronghold as recently as a few years ago, the county north of Dallas is now home to two of the most hotly contested state House races and a congressional contest about which Democrats are increasingly bullish. Full Story
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![The Republican Party of Texas office in downtown Austin.]()
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For nearly 3 million disabled Texans, voting this year is even harder
Texas voters with disabilities have long faced challenges casting ballots in a state with spotty accommodations. The pandemic and record turnout have made it more difficult. Full Story
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![A curbside voting sign at the Bee Cave City Hall polling site. Oct. 14, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texans no longer have a straight-ticket voting option. How that affects Texas House races is unclear.
With control of the Texas House on the line, Republicans and Democrats are closely monitoring the state's massive voter turnout. But with no straight-ticket voting, how many voters are getting to the end of their ballots? Full Story
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![A voter casts their ballot at the Parque Zaragoza Recreation Center in Austin on the first day of early voting on Oct. 13, 2020. Voters are able to cast their ballots early until Oct. 30, 2020.]()
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Analysis: A Texas election with a decade of politics at stake
A nine-seat change in the Texas House could affect the balance of power in the Texas Capitol, but also in Congress. Texas lawmakers will draw political maps next year that could remain in place until the 2030 census. Full Story
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![The floor of the house on April 11, 2019.]()
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What you should watch — and what you should ignore — while the votes are being counted in Texas
It's been an election season like no other. Brace yourself for a results process that lasts longer than in recent elections. Full Story
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![Day one of early voting in El Paso at the Sunland Park Mall indoor voting site on Oct. 13, 2020.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
El Paso County’s judge has ordered nonessential businesses to close to slow coronavirus spread. The Texas attorney general says he can’t do that.
The county is experiencing a record-breaking rise of COVID-19 cases that have overwhelmed hospitals. Full Story
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![Downtown El Paso is vacant during the coronavirus pandemic.]()
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Despite polls showing a close race, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick claims if Democrats win on Election Day, it will be "because they stole it"
Voter fraud in absentee voting, as with any type of voting, is rare. Many states, including many run by Republicans, have expanded mail-in voting options during the pandemic. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick at the dais on the Senate floor on May 25, 2019.]()
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The race for Texas House speaker has quickly become a crowded contest as balance of power hinges on Tuesday's election
Republican state Reps. Trent Ashby, John Cyrier, Chris Paddie and Geanie Morrison are the first four from their party to file. And state Rep. Oscar Longoria became the third Democrat to file for the leadership post. Full Story
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![Empty chamber of the Texas House of Representatives at the state captiol.]()
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Texas' new coronavirus surge is leaving critically sick patients stranded in rural areas, hospitals say
Rural hospitals say they’re in a bind as larger facilities in places like Lubbock, Amarillo and El Paso fill with coronavirus patients and often cannot accept gravely ill patients who need more advanced care than small hospitals can offer. Full Story
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![The exterior of the main entrance at Eastland Memorial Hospital.]()
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Houston appeals court won't let Ken Paxton criminal trial move to Collin County, for now
Prosecutors had argued they couldn't get a fair trial in Collin County, where Paxton is deeply connected politically. The decision is likely to herald more delays in the five-year-old case. Full Story
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![Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks to the Gun Owners of America assembly in 2018.]()
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Worried your mail-in ballot still hasn't arrived? Here's how to be sure your vote counts
If you're concerned that you haven't received your mail-in ballot, there are ways to be counted by showing up in person. Officials say ballots are still being sent out with less than a week before Election Day. Full Story
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![Harris County election workers process and sort mail-in ballots at NRG stadium on Oct. 5, 2020.]()
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Eva Longoria is famous for her acting, but she’s increasingly recognized as a political player in Texas and beyond
Longoria, who traces her Texas roots back centuries, has helped recruit candidates and raise money for Democrats seeking local and national office. Full Story
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![Actress Eva Longoria spoke before the arrival of Former Vice President and Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Joe Biden at a Hispanic Heritage Month event in Florida on Sept. 15, 2020.]()
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John Cornyn embarks on final reelection sprint as late Democratic spending crests in U.S. Senate race
Cornyn expressed worry about the Democratic money coming in to support MJ Hegar but stressed on a bus tour of the state that he represents Texans' values. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, during his bus tour stop in College Station on Oct. 28, 2020.]()
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Texas voters won't be required to wear masks while voting after appeals court temporarily lets Abbott order stand
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked a previous ruling that found the exemption to Gov. Greg Abbott’s statewide face mask mandate put a discriminatory burden on Black and Latino voters. Full Story
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![Voters cast their ballots at the Performing Arts Center at Texas State University in San Marcos.]()
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All seven of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's whistleblowers have resigned, been fired or put on leave
The last of the seven whistleblowers, Ryan Bangert, said he resigned Wednesday. Two others had already resigned, two more were fired last week, and two were put on leave earlier this month. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton during a press conference on Jan. 12, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune