Reporting on Elections and the Midterms: With the Texas Civil Rights Project

Texas voter registration closes Monday, October 5. Here is what Pakistani American readers and community media need to know before the November 3 election.

By Tariq Khan  |  Pakistan Chronicle  |  October 2, 2026

Texas voters have three days left to register for the November 3 general election, and a room full of journalists has just been told to make sure nobody misses it. On September 29, Houston Community Media, American Community Media and the Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP) held a one hour briefing on reporting about elections and the midterms. For Pakistani American readers in Houston, Dallas and across Texas, the practical points are worth repeating.

Texas Election Dates Every Voter Should Write Down

Carl Blair, TCRP’s senior election protection attorney, opened with dates.

• Monday, October 5: last day to register to vote.
• October 19 to October 30: early voting in person.
• Friday, October 23: last day to apply for a mail ballot or fix a defective application.
• Tuesday, November 3: Election Day.
• Mail ballots must reach the county by 7 p.m. on November 3 if the envelope has no postmark, or by 5 p.m. on November 4 if it was postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
• Monday, November 9: last day to fix a mail ballot in person or show photo ID for a provisional ballot.

To vote you must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 on Election Day, registered, and not serving a sentence for a final felony conviction.

Check Your Registration and Understand the Suspense List

Voters can check their status on the Secretary of State website. Blair said that site has had technical trouble for most of the past year, so Harris County voters can use HarrisVotes.com as a backup.

You may also hear about the suspense list. About 1.2 million Texans are on it this year, down from 2.1 million in 2024 and about the same as 2022. Being on it does not cancel a registration. A county sends a confirmation notice when it suspects a voter moved, often because mail came back undeliverable, and anyone who ignores it for 30 days goes on the list. A registration is cancelled only if the voter also skips the next two federal elections, so someone added this year has at least four years to fix it.

Voters who have not moved, or moved within a county, can update their details or sign a statement of residence at the polls. Anyone who moved to a new county must register there by October 5. Miss it, and the only option is a limited ballot, cast in person during early voting, covering statewide races such as U.S. Senate and governor.

Voting Help in More Than One Language

Every Texas county prints voting materials in English and Spanish. Harris County adds Chinese and Vietnamese, and Dallas and Tarrant counties add Vietnamese. Election Protection hotlines are staffed by people trained in election law: 866 OUR VOTE in English, 888 VE Y VOTA in Spanish, 888 API VOTE for Asian and Pacific languages, 844 YALLA US in Arabic, and 888 796 VOTE through Disability Rights Texas. The briefing did not say which South Asian languages the Asian and Pacific line covers, so callers should ask.

Election Protection hotline numbers shown during the briefing. Source: briefing presentation.

Rules for Reporters at Polling Places

Two boundaries matter. Inside 100 feet of any voter entrance, only voters, election workers, poll watchers and police may be present, with a narrow allowance for non disruptive exit polling, and the election judge can remove anyone for loitering or breach of the peace. Within 100 feet of a voting machine, phones, cameras and recorders are banned, with no exception for the press.

Reporters also cannot watch the count at a polling place or the room where a recount is under way. In counties with 100,000 or more residents, such as Harris, officials must livestream video of areas holding voted ballots at central counting.

A multilingual early voting sign at a Texas polling place. Photo credit: Texas Tribune, as shown in the briefing.

Covering Voter Intimidation Without Scaring People Away

Stephanie Drenka, TCRP’s earned media manager, cited Shorenstein Center data showing many people look for voting information on social media, which is where misinformation spreads fastest. Her advice for covering intimidation or political violence: say who did it, use specific numbers, talk to the targeted community, skip vivid fear language, never quote the people doing the intimidating, and always report what officials are doing about it.

She held up an October 2024 VoteBeat and Texas Tribune story about a Bexar County voter charged after assaulting a poll worker. It stated the facts plainly, quoted the sheriff urging calm, noted the incident was isolated and explained how election officials had prepared.

Where to Find Reliable Election Information in Texas

TCRP’s coalition site, texasvoterprotection.org, lists dates, hotline numbers and about two dozen one page toolkits. The Secretary of State’s election advisories are worth bookmarking. TCRP’s voting rights staff said they will answer reporter questions through early voting.

Meet the Speakers

Carl Blair Senior Election Protection Attorney, Texas Civil Rights Project Carl Blair is the Texas Civil Rights Project’s Senior Election Protection attorney. Before joining TCRP in 2022, he worked and volunteered on multiple political, environmental and election protection campaigns and ran his own solo legal practice in Houston. He also serves as a member of the National Election Protection Steering Committee and on the Board of Directors of the Houston Lawyers Chapter of the American Constitution Society.

Stephanie Drenka Earned Media Manager, Texas Civil Rights Project Stephanie Drenka is the Earned Media Manager with the Texas Civil Rights Project. Based in Dallas, she specializes in storytelling, narrative change and amplifying voices from underrepresented communities. Before joining TCRP, she was a facilitator and coach with The OpEd Project and Communications Director for Dallas Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation. She co founded the Dallas Asian American Historical Society and is editor in chief of VISIBLE Magazine. Her photography and writing have appeared in the Washington Post, Huffington Post, Newsweek, Chicago Tribune and more. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from DePaul University, with minors in Asian American Studies and Women’s Studies.

The briefing was hosted by Houston Community Media with American Community Media, moderated by Nakia Cooper, with support from the Houston Endowment.

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