Texas discarded and discounted roughly 13% of mail ballots submitted for its March 1 primary, a significantly higher rate than the typical 2%, according to an AP analysis.

Why it matters: Republicans enacted new voting restrictions in the state last year, saying they would make elections more secure. But the "rejected ballots in Texas alone far exceeds the hundreds of even possible voter fraud cases the AP has previously identified in six battleground states that Trump disputed," AP notes.

Details: AP documented 22,898 rejected ballots from the March 1 primary by contacting all 254 counties, accessing data from 187 counties and examining final vote reconciliation reports.

• The numbers used in the analysis account for 85% of the 3 million people who voted in the primary.
• AP found that the rate of ballot rejection was higher in Democratic-leaning counties, especially in the area surrounding Houston, a liberal stronghold.
• Most of the discarded ballots were rejected because they did not meet new identification requirements, county election officials and the Texas secretary of state told AP.

The big picture: Texas' new law is part of a wave of GOP-led voting restrictions that swept the country after former President Trump lost the 2020 election.

• The Justice Department and multiple civil rights groups have sued the state over the law.

Read the full story by our Axios colleague Shawna Chen.

Fort Worth’s Sundance Square is searching for its next entrepreneurs to set up shop in storefronts downtown.

Why it matters: The creation of small businesses has boomed during the pandemic, with 5.4 million applications to start companies in 2021, up 53% from 2019, according to census data.

• Sundance Square launched a pilot program during the pandemic to open retail storefronts for three small businesses. A fourth opened this month.

Driving the news: Sundance Square, which is owned by Ed and Sasha C. Bass, announced this week that it’s expanding the program and launching a competition for the "Next Big Idea."

• The selected businesses will get a one-year lease, 24-hour security, marketing consulting and possibly seed money to build out the space.

Yes, but: About a third of the storefronts in Sundance Square closed during the pandemic, according to the Star-Telegram.

What they’re saying: The Square’s representatives say they are looking for diverse businesses to apply.

• "Especially being a young Black man, this is a huge step for a better future for other young Black entrepreneurs," said Patrick McGrew, the owner of the recently opened Union Station.

What's next: Apply here by April 18.

Melissa Ellis is a Dallas-based painter who works from the ALG Collective in the Design District.

• The studio is hosting a spring show titled "Recharged" from 5-9pm April 20.

As part of our regular Screen Time feature, we examine how some of the most interesting people in North Texas interact with technology.

Here’s how Ellis clicks…

📱 Device of choice: Samsung Galaxy Note 20

👇 First tap of the day: I put on the SportsDay Talk App to listen to The Ticket every single morning!

📰 Go-to news sources: Dallas Morning News

🎶 On rotation: Greensky Bluegrass, Nathaniel Rateliff and Brandi Carlile

📷 Most used app: Spotify and Instagram

📚 Reading list: Currently reading "The Untethered Soul"

🤔 An Axios Dallas reader recommended Ellis for Screen Time.

• Know someone we should talk to for our next one? Hit reply, and tell us.

🪞 Reflect on your future with our Local Job Board.

1. Web Content Manager at Slalom.

2. Account Development Executive at OpenText.

3. Manager, Information Technology at PCI.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

Hiring? Post a job.

With the Dallas city council taking a break this week, local far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Stein had to go up to Plano to make his desperate pleas for attention.

• This time he‘s getting a lot. Mostly from people blissfully unaware of Stein’s history of racism and misinformation.

The big picture: If you've gone this long without seeing one of Stein's videos, congratulations.

• Please share your secret.

Not at all worthy of your time: If you hate yourself enough to watch Stein's latest, in which he manages to rhyme "Ukraine" with "bullet in Putin's brain," you can watch the whole thing here.

The intrigue: The reactions of the people behind Stein are amazing.

• The guy after Stein is also... something.

✈️ Citibank will cover travel expenses for staff to go out of state for abortions, in reponse to restrictive reproductive laws in Texas and other states. (Reuters)

❌ A Fort Worth police officer was fired for allegedly drunkenly firing a gun while off duty in Arkansas. (WFAA)

🏗 Demolition began yesterday on the Lewisville Fighting Farmers water tower off Interstate 35E. (NBC5)

🏳️‍⚧️ A doctor who treats transgender youth alleges in a lawsuit that UT Southwestern’s decision to close a program providing gender-affirming care violated the university’s nondiscrimination policy. (DMN)

⚖️ A former TCU employee is suing the university, claiming she was racially discriminated against during her employment and termination. (KERA)

It’s that green-beer-swilling, shamrock-plucking, pot-o’-gold-finding time of year.

In honor of the Feast of Saint Patrick — or commodified craic, depending on who’s asking — we’ve put together a list of the finest local Irish pubs, replete with six-word reviews.

• The Crafty Irishman: Emerald Isle magic in Downtown Dallas.
• The Playwright: George Bernard Shaw would be impressed.
• O’Malley’s Club: Smoky, private dinge, judgment-free karaoke.
• The Dubliner: Dallas’ oldest Irish pub, cozy fireplace.
• The Celt: Wooden stairs, strong pours, live music.
• Poag Mahone’s: Come out, ye black and tans.
• Lucky Lou’s: Campus dive, true Tír na nÓg.
• J. Gilligan’s: Great for postgame fit of pique.
• The Old Monk: Say hi to Tim and Zac. 👋