How secret is your secret ballot in Texas?
A secret ballot is important in U.S. elections because it protects voters' privacy and helps ensure the integrity of the voting process. By keeping individual votes confidential, it reduces the risk of voter intimidation and coercion. This allows people to vote according to their true preferences without fear of repercussions from employers, political groups, or others.
The secret ballot is a fundamental aspect of democratic elections, helping to ensure that elections are free, fair, and reflective of the genuine will of the people.
And one Texas anti-voter fraud activist says she has cracked the code of Texas secret ballots.
Laura Pressley is a former Austin City Council candidate known for her extreme advocacy on election integrity. She gained attention after contesting her 2014 city council election loss, alleging that there were irregularities in the electronic voting process. Pressley has been vocal about concerns regarding electronic voting systems, particularly the potential for errors and lack of a verifiable paper trail.
Her activism has sparked debates about the security and transparency of electronic voting in Texas. Although her legal challenges were ultimately unsuccessful, she continues to be a prominent figure in election integrity circles, promoting the use of paper ballots and other measures to safeguard the voting process.
And now she is saying that God has revealed to her the flaw in the Texas secret ballot system.
To tell us more we’re joined by Natalia Contreras. She covers election administration and voting access for Votebeat in partnership with the Texas Tribune.
Uncertified Teachers in Texas
It’s getting harder to find qualified teachers to work in Texas classrooms.
According to a recent Texas State Teachers Assocation Study, 65 percent of Texas teachers are seriously considering leaving the profession.
The survey determined that Texas teachers were primarily unhappy with the lack of support for public schools from the state government, teacher pay, and Texas leaders' pushing for school vouchers.
Many Texas school districts are in financial crisis because Governor Greg Abbott is underfunding public education over his insistence on the school voucher scheme. Numerous school districts reported significant budget shortfalls and face massive layoffs.
In the survey, 33 percent of the teachers said they work extra jobs to meet their families' financial needs.
Additionally, 74 percent of the teachers surveyed also said the extra job most likely hurt the quality of their teaching, but the additional income was necessary.
This growing shortage of trained and qualified teachers, has led Texas to allow unqualified people to teach children.
Texas has adopted a state law that allows almost any school to hire unlicensed teachers. As a result, Texas schools now hire more unlicensed new teachers than licensed ones.
Research shows, however, that these unregulated hiring practices can have a negative impact on students’ academic achievement. It disproportionately affects Black students, English language learners and rural students.
In the previous school year, the Texas Education Agency reported 34 percent of new teachers hired were uncertified, meaning they lack the essential training and formal education that builds high quality teachers.
A recent study from Texas Tech shows students can lose up to four months of learning with new uncertified teachers.
Heath Morrison is the former Superintendent for Montgomery Independent School District (ISD). He is the CEO of Teachers of Tomorrow, the nation's largest alternative certification program for teachers.
