Hi, folks!
With only 68 days before the November 3 midterm election, one community in our state is battling an effort by GOP leaders to redistrict.
In Galveston County, voters are suing Republican leaders over their efforts to redraw lines in the county’s only predominantly Black and Latino district. You can read more on that lawsuit and what this means for voters here.
I’m following up on this story and how this move, which election law experts say is unprecedented, is impacting voters on the ground in East Texas. Regardless of whether the courts allow Galveston County leaders to move forward now, it’s clear the county and others across the state plan to continue to redraw boundary lines for partisan gain. Stay tuned for my reporting on that in the coming weeks.
What else I’m watching ahead of the election:
TEAM issues: What progress has the state made on fixing functionality issues with the state’s election management and voter registration system, known as TEAM? This is the primary tool officials in Texas use to manage elections and conduct voter list maintenance. A year after it was redeveloped and relaunched, some election officials are still reporting some problems with it.
Closed primaries: A GOP lawsuit seeking to force the state to close the primaries is ongoing. Gov. Greg Abbott has said he wants the legislature to take this on next year. But what would that look like in Texas and what would that mean for voters?
We have a tight window between now and Election Day, but if you have news tips or ideas for stories you think I should look into, please send them my way! You can reach me at [email protected].
And if you know anyone who might dig this kind of reporting, encourage them to sign up for the newsletter! They can do that here.
Votebeat's reporters watch and report on vote counting and other key election processes. Help keep them in the room by donating today.
You’re invited: Will the midterms happen? Your election questions, answered | Part 2
Will the 2026 midterms happen? Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: Elections happen because thousands of local officials follow state and local laws requiring them to happen — and history shows they’ve done so before, even under immense pressure. The greater danger isn’t no election, but one that’s chaotic, unfairly challenged, or deliberately cast as illegitimate after the fact.
Got more questions about the midterms? Submit them to Votebeat reporters with your RSVP, and they’ll give you the long answer live on Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. EDT.
The Big Story
What we know about Galveston County’s redistricting and what it means for voters
A case before the Texas Supreme Court argues that the redistricting move is illegal. Galveston County still faces allegations of racial discrimination over its 2021 commissioners court map.
Our Latest Stories
Fracas over reducing Tarrant County polling locations highlights public distrust over how the county runs elections
Attendees at a Commissioners Court meeting questioned whether a plan to offer fewer Election Day voting sites in the 2026 midterms would curb voter access.
Despite concerns, Department of Justice monitors kept a low profile in Michigan primary
Donald Trump’s Department of Justice sent federal monitors to ensure election integrity in Michigan’s 2026 primary. Officials said they were polite and voting went smoothly.
Nonpartisan groups can resume registering newly naturalized citizens to vote at USCIS sites
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services can’t restrict nonpartisan voter registration activities at naturalization ceremonies, a federal judge ruled in a lawsuit brought by the League of Women Voters.
In Other Voting News
Looking for your next read? Check out these other great newsletters.
