Elections and Civic Engagement

The Black Church has been getting ‘souls to the polls’ for more than 60 years

At Black churches up and down the U.S., religious slogans have been supplanted with another message in the run up to Nov. 3: Vote!

I vote because my father and grandfather couldn’t

Roland B. Smith Jr. is from Washington, D.C., whose residents weren’t allowed to vote in a presidential election until 1964. Growing up, his mother would travel almost 500 miles by bus or train from D.C. to Asheville, North Carolina, where she grew up, just to vote. Roland B. Smith Jr. always votes.

Data-Driven Campaign Design and Evaluation for Census 2020: Get Out the Count (GOTC) in Houston

This document evaluates efforts undertaken by Houston in Action and partners across Harris County, Texasduring the 2020 “Say Yes to the Census” campaign. The primary goal is to understand whether efforts to contact individuals in Harris County and inform them about the 2020 Census had an impact on the 2020 Census response rates.

Why does it take so long to vote?

Overall, waiting times may be improving — but long waits are still common in Black communities. As the percentage of nonwhite voters in a precinct increases, so do wait times.

2019’s most-popular stories: Dockless scooters, the I-45 expansion and more

The most-popular Urban Edge stories from the past year ranged in topic from dockless scooters and the growth rate of Dallas to the unequal distribution of trees in the city and the Opportunity Zone program. But the most popular topic of 2019 was TxDOT’s enormous I-45 expansion plan.

Understanding Houston: First-generation Houstonian makes her voice heard through voting

This is a part of a series connected to our partnership with the Greater Houston Community Foundation's regional project Understanding Houston. This story, and others, also appears on the Understanding Houston website.

Sylvester Turner to face Tony Buzbee in runoff for Houston mayor

This story 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.

There are less than six months until the 2019 City of Houston elections

On November 5, the City of Houston will hold elections to choose a mayor, controller, and 16 council members to serve four-year terms from January 2020 to January 2024.

Convicted felons on parole could vote if Texas bill passes. These are the potential voter demographics in Harris County

A proposed state bill would allow convicted felons serving their sentences to vote while on parole or probation.

Urban Review: Why Uber and Lyft Are Hurting Transit, Maternal Depression and Economic Mobility and The Role of Public Testimony

This week, more bad news about Uber and Lyft's impact on transit, the link between maternal mental health and mobility, whether public testimony really changes policy and more.

What To Watch: Looking Ahead to the 86th Legislative Session

Thanks in part to the results of the recent election, lawmakers are underscoring this session as a time to focus on "bread and butter" issues.

Urban Review: Midterms, Midterms and More Midterms

In case you can't get enough, we've got several looks at what the midterm results mean for transit and housing, a shifting suburban voter profile and more.

Election Day: Races and Measures to Watch

Several Sun Belt races hold the potential to make history, but a look at some of the other races and measures also offer potential insights.

Urban Review: Expiring Affordability, Early Voting and How Real Estate Prices Respond to Threat of Climate Change

This week, what happens when hundreds of thousands of affordable properties lose the restrictions keeping them affordable, what do those early voting numbers mean and how is climate change affecting real estate?

Huge Turnout on First Day of Texas Early Voting

Texas Tribune | Texas counties large and small saw substantial voter turnout on the first day of early voting for the 2018 midterm elections.