Politics

Texas election officials may continue rejecting mail-in ballots if they decide the signature on the ballot can't be verified, without notifying voters until after the election that their ballot wasn't counted, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Monday.

Leading up to Election Day, KUT is showcasing different perspectives from Central Texas voters.

For Chelle Neff, owner of Urban Betty hair salon in Austin, the coronavirus pandemic is the scariest experience her business has faced in its 16 years of operation.

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In normal times, the first day of early voting is usually the busiest day of in-person voting ahead of Election Day.

But these are not normal times.

Early voting began Tuesday in Texas and already 21% of Williamson County’s registered voters have cast a ballot.

Throughout American history judges have generally tried to avoid getting involved in political questions, including litigation about elections. They followed Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter’s famous advice to avoid “embroilment” in “the political thicket” of “party contests and party interests.”

A Travis County judge on Thursday ruled that Texas counties can have multiple drop-off locations for hand delivery of absentee ballots, overriding Gov. Greg Abbott's recent directive limiting counties to one drop-off location. But it remains unclear if state District Judge Tim Sulak's decision will lead to the reopening of ballot drop-off locations that were shut down in Harris and Travis counties after Abbott's order.

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About 11% of registered voters in Travis County voted by the first two days of early voting in Texas.

That’s more than 95,000 mail-in and in-person ballots cast, which is thousands more than what had been cast at this point during the 2016 presidential election.

If you live in Lee County, here are the races that could appear on your ballot in the 2020 general election. Residents of other counties can find their voter guides here.

Many Texans who were hoping to vote by mail during this election are instead having to vote in person.

So far, about a million Texans have cast a ballot during the state's extended early voting period, which started Tuesday.

Texans were put into this position thanks to a confluence of events that includes the solidly Republican state becoming more competitive and the nation's federal courts becoming more conservative.

If you live in Caldwell County, here are the races that could appear on your ballot in the 2020 general election. Residents of other counties can find their voter guides here.

If you live in Burnet County, here are the races that could appear on your ballot in the 2020 general election. Residents of other counties can find their voter guides here.

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The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down a Texas law banning the most common procedure for second-trimester abortions.

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If you live in Bastrop County, here are the races that could appear on your ballot in the 2020 general election. Residents of other counties can find their voter guides here.

Updated at 2:33 p.m. ET

The Senate Judiciary Committee held its fourth and final day of hearings on Thursday on President Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.

If confirmed, Barrett, 48, would replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the high court.

It's the first day for early voting in Texas for the 2020 general election. Voters can cast ballots in person today through Oct. 30. Election Day is Nov. 3.

Texas voters head to the polls this month to cast their vote for U.S. president and many other federal, state and local leaders.

KUT and the Austin Monitor held a series of forums over the past few weeks with candidates running for Austin City Council. Not everyone can watch an hour-long forum, though, so we picked three big questions from the event and are providing text of the candidates' answers here. 

There are four candidates running for the seat in District 6, which represents Northwest Austin: Dee Harrison, Jennifer Mushtaler, Mackenzie Kelly and Jimmy Flannigan (the incumbent).

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Hays County has about 150,000 registered voters who could participate in the 2020 general election. In addition to voting on the next president, Hays County voters have the chance to decide on a number of state and local races.

Lee esta historia en español. 

KUT and the Austin Monitor held a series of forums over the past few weeks with candidates running for Austin City Council. Not everyone can watch an hour-long forum, though, so we picked three big questions from the event and are providing text of the candidates' answers here. 

Lee esta historia en español. 

KUT and the Austin Monitor held a series of forums over the past few weeks with candidates running for Austin City Council. Not everyone can watch an hour-long forum, though, so we picked three big questions from the event and are providing text of the candidates' answers here. 

Lee esta historia en español. 

Early voting kicks off in Texas on Tuesday. In Williamson County, a record number of eligible residents — more than 372,000 — registered to vote. The county expects to see 66% of them vote early this year.

Lee esta historia en español. 

Early voting officially begins in Texas on Tuesday and runs through Oct. 30. In addition to the presidential election, Travis County voters have the chance to weigh in on a number of local and state races. Those in Austin have some transportation measures to decide as well.

Lee esta historia en español. 

KUT and the Austin Monitor held a series of forums over the past few weeks with candidates running for Austin City Council. Not everyone can watch an hour-long forum, though, so we picked three big questions from each event and are providing text of the candidates' answers here. 

Texas counties are currently blocked from setting up multiple drop-off locations for absentee ballots heading into the Nov. 3 general election due to a temporary order from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The order came hours after top Texas officials on Saturday again sought to limit drop-off locations some voters use during the coronavirus pandemic.

Lee esta historia en español. 

If you live in Hays County, here are the races that could appear on your ballot in the 2020 general election. Residents of other counties can find their voter guides here.  

Lee esta historia en español. 

If you live in Williamson County, here are the races that could appear on your ballot in the 2020 General Election. Residents of other counties can find their voter guides here.

Part four in a four-part series on the 2020 fight for control of the Texas House

KUT’s Ashley Lopez explains why it’s hard to predict whether Democrats will succeed in flipping the Texas House. Like everything else, the pandemic has complicated things. Changes to voting have made it hard to predict how people will vote – or if they will vote at all.