Texas
A dated list of changes to how Americans vote: district maps, polling places and drop boxes, voting laws and rules, and courts and election officials. Each entry says who did what and when, shows what became of it, and links to the page it rests on. Attempts that failed are listed as failed. Entries that rest on a news report name the outlet.
This is the state view: events recorded for Texas, then national events that apply here. See the national timeline.
Congressional districts in Texas
Choose a district to see the events tagged to it. A number after the district is how many events name it.
In Texas
1984
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Justice Department objects under Section 5 to a change in Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School District (Dallas County): Four polling place and absentee voting location changes
The Justice Department's list of Section 5 objections for Texas records an objection letter dated April 2, 1984, to Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School District (Dallas County). The list describes the change as "Four polling place and absentee voting location changes." The list links the objection letter.
- U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division: Voting Determination Letters for Texas (list of Section 5 objections) ↗
- U.S. Department of Justice: Section 5 objection letter to Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School District (Dallas County), April 2, 1984 (linked from the state list) ↗
Source last checked Oct 24, 2026
1981
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Justice Department objects under Section 5 to a change in Burleson County Hospital District (Burleson County): Reduction of polling places from thirteen to one
The Justice Department's list of Section 5 objections for Texas records an objection letter dated June 5, 1981, to Burleson County Hospital District (Burleson County). The list describes the change as "Reduction of polling places from thirteen to one." The list links the objection letter.
- U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division: Voting Determination Letters for Texas (list of Section 5 objections) ↗
- U.S. Department of Justice: Section 5 objection letter to Burleson County Hospital District (Burleson County), June 5, 1981 (linked from the state list) ↗
Source last checked Oct 24, 2026
1980
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Justice Department objects under Section 5 to a change in Wilson County: Polling place
The Justice Department's list of Section 5 objections for Texas records an objection letter dated November 4, 1980, to Wilson County. The list describes the change as "Polling place." The list links the objection letter.
- U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division: Voting Determination Letters for Texas (list of Section 5 objections) ↗
- U.S. Department of Justice: Section 5 objection letter to Wilson County, November 4, 1980 (linked from the state list) ↗
Source last checked Oct 24, 2026
Nationwide
1984
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Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act becomes law
Public Law 98-435, dated September 28, 1984, is titled "To improve access for handicapped and elderly individuals to registration facilities and polling places for Federal elections."
Source last checked Oct 22, 2026
How this timeline is built
Every entry rests on at least one source that was opened and read, and that source states the date and the fact. Courts, legislatures, election offices, the Justice Department, the Census Bureau, the Federal Register and Congress.gov come first. A news report is used only when no official page states the fact, and it is labeled with the outlet's name. Encyclopedias are not used as sources. History starts in 1965 with the Voting Rights Act. County names come from the Census Bureau's 2024 Gazetteer. Congressional district numbers are those in use for the 2026 election; an event is tagged to a district only when its source names that congressional district.
When a later event changes an earlier one, such as a law later struck down, both entries are listed and point to each other. This page does not predict outcomes or say which party a change helps. U.S. House maps for 2026 · How people voted in past elections, by county · Back to the 2026 voting center.