Natalia Contreras
Reporter, Votebeat Texas
Natalia Contreras has covered a range of topics as a community journalist including local government, public safety, immigration, and social issues. Natalia comes to Votebeat from the Austin American-Statesman, where her reporting focused on impacts of government policies on communities of color. Natalia previously reported for the Indianapolis Star, where she helped launch the first Spanish-language newsletter, and at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Natalia was born in Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Lawmakers debate whether ineligible voters would be prosecuted for making a mistake. Republicans had lowered the penalty to a misdemeanor two years ago.
ERIC is a national system that Texas officials say is an important tool to keep voting rolls clean. But a band of right-wing voter fraud activists, joined by state GOP officials, wants to gut it.
Republican lawmakers work to reverse change to state law that made illegal voting a misdemeanor
GOP lawmakers filed two bills in response to Harris County’s recent Election Day problems.
SB 2, which reverses a provision of 2021’s election bill, is among Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s legislative priorities.
Officials worry the mandate for WORM devices will deprive them of the tech they use for accurate, speedy voting results.
Election officials say Ken Paxton’s legal opinion puts them in a bind: risk breaking the law or risk provoking lawsuits.
No evidence of widespread voter fraud has been found, but Attorney General Ken Paxton has been actively pursuing election-related crimes since he took office in 2015.
Long-awaited report finds conflicting statements from polling place supervisors on whether they ran out of ballot paper.
Thrust into the job at a contentious time, Scott believed defending the integrity of Texas elections was his top priority.
In the latest fallout from Election Day woes, a GOP judicial candidate is suing to overturn her loss, citing unspecified data and “2,000 reports” of polling place problems.
Heider García no puso resistencia a las sospechas y amenazas del grupo. Los recibió y los escuchó.
After last-minute challenge from attorney general, county commissioners agree to certify those provisional votes in time for canvassing deadline.
The state’s biggest county has no central system for tracking problems, so it still can’t say how many polling places opened late, ran out of paper, or worked just fine.
In the face of their suspicions and threats, Heider Garcia didn’t fight back. He welcomed them in and listened.
Asian voters were most disproportionately affected by ID requirement under new voting law, according to analysis by the Brennan Center.
Case brought by allies of Laura Pressley sparked years-long conflict with Gillespie County election staff.
Defamation case proceeds in Texas despite arrest of Konnech CEO in Los Angeles investigation.
“Can we go back to focusing on the testing, please?” official pleads as crowd demands answers to conspiracy theories.
Case cites election-integrity group’s own public claims that it stole data from Michigan company that makes software for managing poll workers.
Aggrieved anti-fluoride activists, low pay, and understaffing eventually drove away Gillespie County’s election officials.
Texas attorney general’s office sent multiple memos this summer instructing election officials to follow longtime precedent. Then he changed his mind.
After “seeking God’s guidance,” the group has engaged in year-long campaign of chasing evidence, lobbying government, and harassing an election official, with little to show for it.
The 300,000 March ballots are public records under state law, but the effort in Tarrant County may just be a warmup for endlessly disputed elections.
As an immigrant, I find our election system intimidating and confusing. That’s what makes my reporting so valuable to the communities that need it.