Sep 1, 2021 | Legislation
On a 5-2 vote, the Senate State Affairs Committee approved a bill that would create new “explanation” and “audit” processes to address “irregularities” in county election administration. Senate Bill 97 by Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) was filed yesterday...
Jul 1, 2021 | Campaign News
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled provisions of Arizona law rejecting ballots cast in the wrong precinct and restricting who can collect mail ballots do not violate Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA). The 6-3 decision (PDF) affirms lower court rulings and...
May 29, 2021 | Legislation
The conference committee report (PDF) for the session’s most significant election bill was filed today (Saturday) and contains provisions that were not in any prior versions. The report was signed by all seven Republicans. None of the three Democrats agreed to it....
Apr 8, 2021 | Campaign News
The Senate approved legislation that would move this year’s filing period and next year’s primary and primary runoff elections based on when a redistricting plan becomes law. Senate Bill 1822 by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) would establish temporary provisions in the...
Apr 1, 2021 | Campaign News, Legislation
In the middle of the night, on a party-line vote, the Senate passed legislation that would restrict counties’ efforts to expand access to voting, place new requirements on volunteers assisting and transporting voters, permit the video recording of voting and vote...
Mar 21, 2021 | Campaign News
Nearly three quarters of Texas voters approved Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) extension of early voting by one week for last year’s general election, according to a new poll by Republican pollster Chris Perkins (Ragnar Research) conducted for Secure Democracy, an election...
Dec 11, 2020 | Campaign News
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton’s suit seeking to overturn the presidential election results in four other states. “Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections,”...
Dec 8, 2020 | Campaign News
Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton (R) petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to block four states from using their certified election results to appoint presidential electors and to require those four states’ legislatures to appoint alternative electors instead, presumably to overturn...
Dec 1, 2020 | Campaign News
SD30 special: Gov. Greg Abbott (R) endorsed Rep. Drew Springer (R-Muenster) over salon owner Shelley Luther. Decatur farmer Andy Hopper, who finished sixth in the special election with 4% of the vote, endorsed Luther. He was previously supporting Springer, but changed...
Nov 19, 2020 | Campaign News
Counties have canvassed their election results, making them official. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) may canvass the state vote as early as Saturday, but he has until December 7 to do so. Counties must provide electronic precinct-level returns to the Secretary of State by...
Nov 11, 2020 | Campaign News
Counties are beginning to canvass the election results, which will make them official at the county level and open the period for any recounts to be requested or challenges to be filed. Counties and local jurisdictions must conduct their canvass by Tuesday. Gov. Greg...
Oct 7, 2020 | Campaign News
Early voting may begin next week as ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott (R), ruled the Texas Supreme Court, essentially because the legal challenge to that order was filed too late. “Relators could have asserted their challenge at any time in the past ten weeks,” wrote Chief...
