The emergency guidance from the secretary of state comes after Votebeat and The Texas Tribune confirmed the choices some voters make can later be identified through legally available records.
Natalia Contreras
Natalia Contreras covers election administration and voting access for Votebeat in partnership with The Texas Tribune. She has covered a range of topics as a community journalist including local government, public safety, immigration and social issues. Natalia previously reported for the Austin American-Statesman, focusing on impacts of government policies on communities of color. Natalia previously worked at the Indianapolis Star, where she helped launch the first Spanish-language newsletter, and at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. She was born in Tampico, Tamaulipas in Mexico and grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas. She is based in Corpus Christi.
Posted in
Politics
Top Texas election official acknowledges threats to ballot secrecy
Rules and practices meant to promote transparency also create vulnerabilities for voters, lawmakers were told.
Posted in
We the Texans
Texas officials compromised ballot secrecy as they increased election transparency
In limited instances, the choices some Texas voters make can later be identified using public, legally available data.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas election chiefs face pressure to get details right after judge orders new election in close race
Some of the problems that prompted a judge to order a new election in a 2022 Harris County race occur often, especially in high-turnout elections, election officials said.
Posted in
Politics
Gillespie County election costs balloon after switch to hand count
The bigger bill for the GOP primary in Gillespie County illustrates how election costs could rise if hand counting of ballots is widely adopted.
Posted in
2024 Texas Elections
With lawsuits and recount petitions rising, some Texas elections seem to go on forever
Courts are still working through election challenges brought as far back as 2021. Experts say the protracted fights threaten voter confidence.
Posted in
We the Texans
In one Texas county, elections officials shoulder new costs and burdens to appease skeptics
Brazos County election officials are responding to demands from skeptical residents by expanding hand counts and ordering special paper.
Posted in
2024 Texas Elections
Texas counties facing surprise surcharge from voter registration software vendor
Votec, one of only three companies certified to manage voter registration data in Texas, is facing a financial squeeze and asking counties for a 35% surcharge.
Posted in
2024 Texas Elections
They counted primary ballots by hand. Now a Texas county Republican party says they found errors.
After declaring a successful hand count of ballots, Gillespie County Republicans had to fix a series of errors in the results reported from almost every precinct.
Posted in
2024 Texas Elections
Republicans in a Texas county ditched technology and counted votes by hand. Here’s what happened.
The Texas Secretary of State and other election experts warned Gillespie County Republicans the process would be expensive, time-consuming and less reliable.
