Texas Civil Rights Project
Monitor County Commissioners Court Meetings
Help detect changes that would threaten voting rights or election security
Posted April 17, 2026
Background & Context
County Commissioners Courts make several critical decisions for elections in Texas, including approving polling locations, selecting election administrators (in some counties), and approving the budget for county election offices, and approving the purchase of new voting machines.
Immediate Problem
These bodies have the ability to make choices that improve or interfere with voting access and confidence in election outcomes. Yet Texas has 254 counties, which makes tracking developments in County Commissioners Courts across the state challenging.
Work & Deliverables
We are seeking lawyers to cover these meetings, to increase our ability to track changes in local election administration -- and to determine if responses are needed. Volunteer lawyers will sign up to monitor meetings in select counties and share information with those meetings with TCRP in case further action is needed. Once a volunteer has signed up for this project, they will be provided with all necessary training materials regarding the key issues and areas of concern to guide the information they gather.
At this time, the meetings for all of the counties we are monitoring are available to watch online and agendas are typically available online for review 48-72 hours beforehand. Meetings take place either weekly or biweekly depending on the county. In some counties, meetings are livestreamed, while in others they will be archived, and volunteers may be able to watch them at a more convenient time than when they are held (but not too long afterward). Ideally, volunteers will cover as many meetings as possible over the course of this project, but every meeting covered helps!
We will begin this project with the following priority counties: Collin, Fort Bend, Harris, Hidalgo, Montgomery, Tarrant, Webb, and Williamson.
Volunteers DO NOT need to live in one of the counties we are prioritizing, as long as they are willing and able to cover those meetings virtually. If this pilot program is successful, we may expand this request to include additional counties.
This pilot project will run from June to December 2026.
Preparation Phase
- View trainig materials and fill out Google Form sent out after sign up.
- Afterwards, project lead will reach out via email to answer any questions.
Collaboration Phase
- Keep track of your assigned county's agendas.
- Watch Commissioners Court meeting and take notes using provided template.
- Email completed meeting notes to Project Lead within 24 hours.
Wrap Up
- Provide written feedback via form that will be sent out in early December.
Texas Civil Rights Project
The Texas Civil Rights Project is boldly serving the movement for equality and justice in and out of the courts. We use our tools of litigation and legal advocacy to protect and advance the civil rights of everyone in Texas and we partner with communities across the state to serve the rising movement for social justice. We undertake our work with a vision of a Texas in which all communities can thrive with dignity, justice, and without fear. Our Voting Rights Program tackles the systemic issues that suppress democratic participation in Texas — from voter registration to the moment when an individual casts their ballot. Through litigation and advocacy, TCRP fights to turn the tide on the state’s abysmal voting rights record by removing barriers to voter registration, supporting grassroots voter mobilization efforts, and opposing new attempts to suppress voting. As a critical element of that work, we help lead the Texas Election Protection Coalition: dozens of grassroots organizations that work year round to ensure that all eligible voters in Texas can cast a ballot that counts. Our efforts include operating a toll free hotline to answer voters’ questions, training and deploying hundreds of legal and grassroots volunteers who work at polling locations during Early Vote and on Election Day, using digital tools to connect with voters, and keeping legal counsel on hand to fight for voting rights in court.
Volunteer for this project!
Texas Civil Rights Project would love your help with this project. Enter your name and email address to get started!
Texas Civil Rights Project
The Texas Civil Rights Project is boldly serving the movement for equality and justice in and out of the courts. We use our tools of litigation and legal advocacy to protect and advance the civil rights of everyone in Texas and we partner with communities across the state to serve the rising movement for social justice. We undertake our work with a vision of a Texas in which all communities can thrive with dignity, justice, and without fear. Our Voting Rights Program tackles the systemic issues that suppress democratic participation in Texas — from voter registration to the moment when an individual casts their ballot. Through litigation and advocacy, TCRP fights to turn the tide on the state’s abysmal voting rights record by removing barriers to voter registration, supporting grassroots voter mobilization efforts, and opposing new attempts to suppress voting. As a critical element of that work, we help lead the Texas Election Protection Coalition: dozens of grassroots organizations that work year round to ensure that all eligible voters in Texas can cast a ballot that counts. Our efforts include operating a toll free hotline to answer voters’ questions, training and deploying hundreds of legal and grassroots volunteers who work at polling locations during Early Vote and on Election Day, using digital tools to connect with voters, and keeping legal counsel on hand to fight for voting rights in court.