Elections

The organizers behind the 37th Street Lights holiday tradition started the animal election to increase engagement in Austin’s human mayoral election. There was record turnout this year, with more than 12,000 votes cast.

The Justice Department has asked states for their voter rolls with an eye toward purging ineligible voters. Democrats say sharing the data could violate federal election law.

Lawmakers worked this year to address Texas' property taxes by increasing the tax break homeowners get on their property — and new proposals have already been made for the 2027 legislative session.

Texas Majority PAC and the Texas Democratic Party recruited 104 candidates to fill uncontested races. Gov. Greg Abbott’s strategist said it amounts to a gimmick “if they don’t back it up with serious resources.”

After weeks of speculation, Crockett officially filed to run Monday.

The U.S. Supreme Court will now make a final decision on whether Texas can use its new congressional map, which was drawn this summer to benefit Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections. The outcome could have a huge impact on which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives in the future.

A federal court in El Paso had earlier Tuesday placed a temporary block on the map that Republican lawmakers passed this summer and ordered the state to use the district maps from the last two elections.

The congressional redistricting Texas Republicans pushed forward this summer didn’t just reshape two of Houston’s most historically diverse districts: It also changed which voters there have the power to choose who will represent them in Washington.

Paxton announced Wednesday he has filed the necessary paperwork to enter the 2026 race. The Republican first declared his intentions to run earlier this year.

While most proposed amendments on this year's ballot focused on taxes, voters also showed strong support for investing in Texas’ network of technical colleges and dementia and Alzheimer’s research.