Texas 2022 Elections, Explained

Ahead of the 2022 Texas midterms, The Texas Tribune is answering reader questions about the candidates running for office, the offices themselves and the issues Texans are voting on this election cycle. Tell us what questions you have, and what this election cycle means to you .

It’s Election Day. Here’s what you need to vote in Texas.

By María Méndez Updated: Nov. 8, 2022 Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Here’s what’s on the ballot, what you’ll need to vote, how to get help and how to find election results. Full Story

Early voting for the primaries opened on Feb. 14, 2022.

How Texas counts ballots and keeps elections secure

By María Méndez Updated: Nov. 7, 2022 From election equipment to ballot counting and storage, Texas elections officials follow a long list of laws and procedures to ensure free and fair elections. Full Story

Harris County Elections Staff members sort ballot bags at <a href=the Elections Technology Center in northwest Houston on Tuesday, March 1, 2022." />

LGBTQ Texans voting with marriage, worker protections and trans rights in mind

By Jhair Romero Nov. 3, 2022 The Texas Tribune spoke with LGBTQ voters, the parents of queer youth and advocates from across the state about what’s at stake for them this November. Full Story

Thomas Smith, right, and his partner Kevin McCardle outside of the Polk County Courthouse building in Livingston on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022. Smith has voted for mostly Republican candidates his entire life but will now be voting for Democrats this election as issues like women’s rights and same sex marriage are being scrutinized.

No, Texas voting machines aren’t switching your votes

By María Méndez Updated: Oct. 31, 2022 Sensitive touch screens aren’t always user friendly and make it easy for voters to accidentally select the wrong candidate. Voters should carefully review their ballots before submitting them. Full Story

Voters cast their ballots at the Lochwood Branch Library in Dallas on Feb. 25, 2022, the last day of early voting in the Texas primary. Dallas County voting centers’ hours were extended <a href=till 10 P.M. on the last day of early voting to make up for early closures due to icy weather." />

Election Day is Nov. 8. Here are your rights at the polls.

By María Méndez Updated: Nov. 7, 2022 Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8. Early voting ran from Monday, Oct. 24, to Friday, Nov. 4. The last day to apply to vote by mail was Friday, Oct. 28. Full Story

A voter casts her ballot at the Metropolitan Multi-Services Center during Election Day in Houston on Nov. 3, 2020.

Texas’ elected Supreme Court: What to know before voting for justices

By Emma Williams Oct. 22, 2022 The nine-member Texas Supreme Court has the power to make sweeping decisions that interpret the meaning of the state’s constitution, impacting the lives of Texans across the state. Three seats are on the ballot this year. Full Story

The Texas Supreme Court on Jan. 15, 2020.

What to know before voting for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals judges

By Marissa Greene Oct. 22, 2022 Texans will vote on three seats for the state’s highest criminal court in November. Here’s what the court does, who is running for office and what issues candidates are running on. Full Story

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Jan. 15, 2020.

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What you need to know about the county and school district seats on your Nov. 8 ballot

By María Méndez Oct. 21, 2022 Texans will be choosing more than a governor and members of Congress in the midterm elections. Here’s a look at what the officials elected to several local offices oversee. Full Story

Voters enter the Audelia Road Branch Library in Dallas on Feb. 25, 2022, the last day of early voting in the Texas primary.

Abortion rights supporters struggle to keep issue top of mind for Texas voters

By Eleanor Klibanoff Oct. 19, 2022 Polling shows that a majority of voters in Texas oppose the state’s near-total ban on abortion, but they ranked the topic ninth on a list of most important issues facing the country. Full Story

Holly Hart, 22, bottom, speaks during a Women's Wave protest, hosted by Bans Off Our Bodies Fort Worth, on Saturday, Oct. 08, 2022 outside of the Tarrant County Courthouse in downtown Fort Worth.

The Texas voter registration deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 11. Here’s how to check your status and register.

By María Méndez Oct. 10, 2022 How do I find out if I’m registered to vote? How do I register to vote in the first place? Who is eligible to register to vote? Full Story

Blank voter registration forms at the election’s office on Oct. 3, 2022, in Nacogdoches.

Texans make the case for why voting matters

By María Méndez, Marissa Greene, Alex Nguyen and Emma Williams Oct. 10, 2022 The Texas Tribune spoke to Texans across the political spectrum and asked them to make their case for why voting matters this year. The deadline to register to vote was Oct. 11. Early voting runs from Oct. 24 to Nov. 4. Full Story

Independent voter Brienne Shkedi fixes her daughter’s hair outside of their Pearland home on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022.

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Conspiracy theorists and 16-hour days: Inside the stress elections officials face ahead of the midterms

By Pooja Salhotra Oct. 4, 2022 Running elections in Texas has never been easy. But since 2020, the scrutiny elections administrators face has grown — even in small Republican-controlled counties that former President Donald Trump carried. Full Story

Todd Stallings poses for a portrait at the elections office in Nacogdoches on Oct. 3, 2022.

Comptroller, railroad commissioner, lieutenant governor: What do Texas state officials actually do?

By María Méndez Sept. 15, 2022 For example, members of the Railroad Commission don’t deal with railroads. Here’s what the many officials elected statewide do with the power voters give them. Full Story

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Why does Texas have so many elections, and why do few people vote in them?

By Emma Williams Sept. 15, 2022 The high number of contests contributes to the state’s low voter turnout — but it’s not the only reason. Full Story

A voter casts their ballot at the Parque Zaragoza Recreation Center in Austin on the first day of early voting on Oct. 13, 2020. Voters are able to cast their ballots early until Oct. 30, 2020.

Here’s how to vote in Texas’ Nov. 8 midterm elections

By María Méndez and Yuriko Schumacher Sept. 8, 2022 The deadline to register to vote was Oct. 11. The last day to apply to vote by mail was Oct. 28. Early voting ran from Oct. 24 to Nov. 4. Full Story

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What you can expect from our elections coverage

By Texas Tribune Staff Aug. 15, 2022 The Texas Tribune’s coverage of elections seeks to empower informed participation in our democracy. We hope to achieve that in five ways. Full Story