<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9" xmlns:news="http://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap-news/0.9" xmlns:image="http://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap-image/1.1"><url><loc>https://www.votebeat.org/texas/2026/10/30/election-certification-how-it-works/</loc><lastmod>2026-10-31T18:24:22.178Z</lastmod><changefreq>always</changefreq><priority>0.5</priority><news:news><news:publication><news:name>Votebeat</news:name><news:language>en</news:language></news:publication><news:publication_date>2026-10-31T18:24:22.178Z</news:publication_date><news:title><![CDATA[Texas elections aren’t official until they get certified. Here’s how it works.]]></news:title></news:news><image:image><image:loc>https://www.votebeat.org/resizer/v2/JVFECMYGM5EHNEBKAXG6M55CHI.jpg?auth=dbb1cf30fdf64a5fbedddfab4f0a4fd76bfce6eee25e9f4b1b5db2b5efa3073c&amp;smart=true&amp;width=2500&amp;height=1667</image:loc><image:caption><![CDATA[Voters wait in line during early voting at the Como Community Center polling site in Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 21, 2026.]]></image:caption></image:image></url><url><loc>https://www.votebeat.org/texas/2026/10/30/texas-potter-county-republican-lawsuit-hand-count-ballots/</loc><lastmod>2026-10-31T18:22:45.316Z</lastmod><changefreq>always</changefreq><priority>0.5</priority><news:news><news:publication><news:name>Votebeat</news:name><news:language>en</news:language></news:publication><news:publication_date>2026-10-31T18:22:45.316Z</news:publication_date><news:title><![CDATA[Republican group wants all Texas ballots hand counted in the Nov. 3 election]]></news:title></news:news><image:image><image:loc>https://www.votebeat.org/resizer/v2/763DM3UEOFFCBI47S5DJ7JLDCM.jpg?auth=3529d714ee9300db5d1f661ef3554ba0202fb23e3ae8c8f3ac2804fcfd277c9f&amp;smart=true&amp;width=2560&amp;height=1707</image:loc><image:caption><![CDATA[Amarillo Women’s March, a local advocacy group, holds a healthcare rally in front of the Potter County Courthouse in Amarillo on Jan. 20, 2024. The Potter County Republican Party has sued to require all Texas ballots hand counted in the Nov. 3, 2026, election.]]></image:caption></image:image></url><url><loc>https://www.votebeat.org/national/2026/10/31/justice-department-election-monitors-explainer-2026-midterms/</loc><lastmod>2026-10-31T18:14:07.881Z</lastmod><changefreq>always</changefreq><priority>0.5</priority><news:news><news:publication><news:name>Votebeat</news:name><news:language>en</news:language></news:publication><news:publication_date>2026-10-31T18:14:07.881Z</news:publication_date><news:title><![CDATA[Everything you need to know about Department of Justice election monitors]]></news:title></news:news><image:image><image:loc>https://www.votebeat.org/resizer/v2/MSD2I3PYGRCSLL4A2LYK2E67TU.jpg?auth=c34af4815930412045d002db75e2ec7839203e50ac3219bc557633f879096509&amp;smart=true&amp;width=2500&amp;height=1667</image:loc><image:caption><![CDATA[Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon speaks to reporters in May. Dhillon leads the section of the Justice Department which oversees election monitors.]]></image:caption></image:image></url></urlset>