Texas officials praise the revamped immigration database, but some critics are raising concerns about data privacy and accuracy.
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
Ken Paxton investigating “potential noncitizens” for voting in 2020 and 2022 election cycles
Most of those voters are in Harris County, home to Houston. Noncitizen voting is illegal and documented instances are rare.
Posted in
2025 Legislative Recap
Texas lawmakers failed to pass a proof of citizenship law but made other changes to elections
Successful measures include a new early-voting schedule, revised mail-voting procedures and limits on curbside voting.
Posted in
Redistricting Texas 2025
Trump aides want Texas to redraw its congressional maps to boost the GOP. What would that mean?
The plan would shift voters from safely red districts into blue ones. Members of the state’s Republican delegation aren’t sold on the idea.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2025
Texas bill creating more weekend early voting could boost turnout, but delay election results
A bill headed for Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk may not go into effect until 2027. Election administrators say the changes could create staffing challenges.
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Criminal Justice
Texas secretary of state refers 33 potential noncitizen voters for criminal investigation
The 33 potential voting violations are a tiny fraction of the roughly 11 million who cast ballots in the November 2024 election.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas attorney general won’t get new powers to prosecute election crimes after legislative deadlock
Ken Paxton sought more power for his office to take up election cases. But lawmakers haven’t agreed on a measure that would give it to him.
Posted in
Politics
Texas’ mail-in voting rules pushed voters to cast ballots in person — or not vote at all, study finds
New research from the Brennan Center for Justice suggests that 2021 ID requirements in a recent overhaul of Texas election laws could explain some of the drop in mail voting.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas GOP’s bill requiring voters to prove citizenship stalls in House
Senate Bill 16 is imperiled after missing a deadline in the House. It was among the most sweeping proof-of-citizenship proposals in the U.S. and would have applied retroactively to all voters.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas House bill allowing online voter registration got a public hearing — after missing deadline to become law
Texas is one of eight states without universal online voter registration. A lawmaker pushing for it says he’ll continue the fight.
