Voting Rights Act Changes Could Affect Local Elections in Texas

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a federal law that protects all Americans' right to vote and be represented. Recent court decisions could change how city councils and school boards across Texas elect their members. This affects how Latino and Black communities get representation in local government. For decades, this law helped communities challenge at-large voting systems. In at-large systems, every voter picks all board members, which can make it hard for minority communities to elect candidates who understand their needs. The law has led to changes like cumulative voting, where you can give multiple votes to one candidate, or single-member districts where neighborhoods elect their own representative. These changes matter because local governments make decisions about our schools, water, roads, and police. When our city councils and school boards include people from different backgrounds, they better understand what all neighborhoods need. Houston has many diverse communities. How we elect our leaders affects whether everyone's voice is heard. If you care about fair representation, stay informed about local elections. Attend city council and school board meetings. Contact your representatives about voting issues. Join civic groups that work on election fairness. Your voice matters in shaping how our community chooses its leaders.

Texas Tribune

Natalia Contreras

This coverage is made possible through Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting access. Sign up for Votebeat Texas’ free newsletters here.

Guillermo Ramos remembers seeing few elected leaders who looked like him while he was growing up in the 1980s in Farmers Branch, a fast-growing affluent suburb northwest of Dallas.

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Over the years, Latino representation continued to lag, he said. In 2015, after he had become a lawyer, he decided to do something about it.