Austin, TX
Vibe Coding the Vote: Austin Founder Launches AI Election Tool
AUSTIN, Texas — Early voting is wrapping up for the midterm election, and Election Day is March 3rd.
With federal offices, statewide races, and local propositions on the ballot, it’s a packed slate. And for many voters, preparing can feel overwhelming.
Josh Baer knows that feeling well.
“Every year I put an hour on my calendar or two to where I’m supposed to get ready to vote,” Baer said. “I’m supposed to read the voting guides and kind of get prepared. And to be honest, it never seems to work. I always just actually don’t feel very prepared.”
Baer is the founder and CEO of Capital Factory, a startup accelerator and investment hub. This year, instead of struggling through the ballot, he turned to artificial intelligence.
He gave AI two specific instructions.
“I said, one, go download all the best nonpartisan voting guides so that you can read all of them and know what’s going on,” Baer explained. “And then two, I said, interview me so you understand my kind of voting preferences. And then tell me who I should vote for and why.”
Within seconds, the AI generated a nine-page report. It broke down every race and proposition, recommended who he should vote for, and explained why. It also created a condensed cheat sheet for Election Day.
“It was really amazing,” Baer said. “And I felt the most prepared I’ve ever felt going into voting.”
That experience sparked a bigger idea.
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Baer decided to build a website so others could do the same thing. He began what’s known as “vibe coding,” using AI tools to help create the platform.
“It took a few days of me tinkering around with it, but really just from that prompt, I got this incredible website where anybody can go and do the same thing I did,” he said. “And then I said, make it safe. Ensure it’s nonpartisan. Make sure it’s open, and people can trust it.”
The result is TXVotes.app.
Baer says Anthropic’s Claude AI handled much of the heavy lifting behind the scenes. But he didn’t stop there.
He also asked other AI systems — including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, xAI’s Grok, and Google’s Gemini — to review the site and suggest improvements. He then used their feedback to refine the tool.
Baer says privacy and transparency are central to the app’s design.
“You can look at the website and see how it works and why it works,” he said. “But most importantly, in just about five minutes, you can be the most prepared you’ve ever been for any election you’ve walked into.”
As early voting continues, Baer hopes the tool can make researching the ballot faster, easier, and less intimidating for voters across Texas.
Austin, TX
Final Public Input Meetings on the Community Wildfire Protection Plan Update Next Week
The Austin-Travis County Wildfire Coalition is hosting a last round of public input meetings on the Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which is updated every 10 years.
The City of Austin released a press release about the final two meetings on Thursday. According to the release, the meetings are intended to provide an overview of the project, hear from subject matter experts, and capture public comments for incorporation into the plan.
Meeting Schedule
April 8, 6-8 p.m.; Del Valle Early College High School Cafeteria, 4715 Ross Rd.
April 9, 6-8 p.m.; St. Luke’s on the Lake Episcopal Church; 5600 RR 620 N.
The coalition asks that residents RSVP to the meetings online and take this public survey to provide information to the coalition as it updates the plan. Anyone may take the survey, but the coalition asks individuals who plan to attend one of the sessions to fill it out beforehand.
The Community Wildfire Protection Plan identifies areas of wildfire risk, prioritizes investments for mitigation funding, and provides recommendations for hazardous fuels reduction and homeowner risk reduction practices.
Additionally, the plan offers policymakers guidance on wildfire response capabilities and evacuation planning frameworks. The Austin-Travis County Wildfire Coalition updates the plan every decade to ensure it reflects current risk conditions, data, and community priorities.
Members of the coalition include the City of Austin, Austin 3-1-1, Austin Water, Austin Fire Department’s Wildfire Division, the Lower Colorado River Authority, Austin Energy, the city’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management division, and more.
Learn more about the coalition at its website here. And stay updated on the CWPP process as it unfolds here.
Austin, TX
Tommy’s Travel Forecast: A wet Easter weekend
AUSTIN (KXAN) — You know the saying: ‘April showers bring May flowers’. A wetter-than-normal pattern is likely in Texas through early April, hopefully making a dent in our extreme drought, and lowering pollen totals!
It’s not just the Lone Star State; several storm systems will bring mountain snow, heavy rain, and the potential for severe weather across the country into the upcoming weekend, Saturday, April 4 through 5.
Severe Weather
The Storm Prediction Center has highlighted parts of the Southern Plains, Great Plains, and Midwest for potential severe weather on Friday. There is a level 3/5 (Enhanced) risk for cities such as St. Joseph, Ottumwa, Kirksville, Moberly, and Indianola.
There is a growing concern for large hail, damaging winds, and an isolated tornado in the highlighted area.
There is a level 2/5 (Slight) risk for cities such as Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Tulsa, Des Moines, and Overland Park on Friday.
Texas Travel
Traveling in Texas this weekend for Easter Sunday? Bring an umbrella and a rain jacket! Scattered thunderstorms, including a few strong-to-severe storms, are possible.
A strong cold front arrives on Saturday afternoon, bringing widespread rain chances. There is a level 1/5 (Marginal) risk for cities such as Houston, Shreveport, Jackson, Cleveland, and Buffalo.
High temperatures on Sunday will be cooler than normal. In Austin, we’ll likely remain in the 60s.
Wet Pattern
The Climate Prediction Center has high confidence in a wetter-than-normal pattern continuing through mid-April.

A few cold shots of late winter air will cool down parts of the Midwest and Northeast in the next week, with some late-season snow possible. Most of the country is trending warmer-than-normal.
Austin, TX
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