Texas officials compromised ballot secrecy as they increased election transparency

By Natalia Contreras, Votebeat and The Texas Tribune, and Karen Brooks Harper and William Melhado, The Texas Tribune In limited instances, the choices some Texas voters make can later be identified using public, legally available data. “Texas officials compromised ballot secrecy as they increased election transparency” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. This story was reported in partnership with Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting access. Sign up for Votebeat Texas’ free newsletters here. Texas’ efforts to make elections more transparent allows the public — in limited instances — to pierce the anonymity of the ballot and find out how people voted, undermining the secrecy essential to free elections. The choices voters make in the private voting booth can later be identified in some cases using public, legally available records, a review by Votebeat and The Texas Tribune found. Since 2020, requests for such records have skyrocketed, fueled by unsubstantiated concerns about widespread voter fraud, and Texas lawmakers have supported changes to make election records easier to access soon after elections. Former...