The academy offers an inside look at how votes are counted and secured. It’s building confidence — and inspiring similar programs across Texas.
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
Texas Legislature 2025
Texas countywide voting bill would allow fewer polling sites
Senate Bill 985 would revise a 2023 law that raised the minimum number of voting locations. County election officials say they’ve struggled to comply with it.
Posted in
Politics
Bexar County hires veteran election official pushed out of previous job amid right-wing criticism
Michele Carew was unanimously appointed as election administrator for the county that’s home to San Antonio, four years after leaving her post in Hood County.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2025
Some Texas lawmakers want to ban countywide voting on Election Day. Local officials are pushing back.
Election administrators say letting people cast a ballot at any polling site is more convenient for voters and cheaper for local governments.
Posted in
State Government
Texas counties left scrambling after critical election equipment loses its certification
Texas decertified a widely used electronic pollbook after problems in November. Will a fix arrive in time for the next election?
Posted in
Politics
“It kind of sounded biblical”: How a roll of the dice and numbered beads determined a Corpus Christi City Council race
Five people threw their hats in the ring for a single council seat in the South Texas city. That level of interest kicked off an unorthodox — but not unprecedented — series of events.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2025
Can these 5 bills to expand voting access in Texas win bipartisan support in the Legislature?
Proposals to allow online registration and broaden photo ID options may have a chance to advance, supporters say.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2025
Texas Republicans want voters to provide proof of citizenship. Arizona’s law holds lessons.
A Votebeat analysis shows how such requirements risk disenfranchising key voter groups, including Native Americans and college students.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2025
Bill aimed at increasing transparency could sow chaos for election officials, experts say
Under state Sen. Paul Bettencourt’s bill, some individuals could submit requests for explanations of ‘election irregularities’ and potentially bring them to the Texas Secretary of State.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2025
Texas ballot secrecy issue draws attention in Legislature, courts
One bill has been filed so far, while a pair of lawsuits focus attention on the issue.
