Counties Clear Texas Voter Registration Backlog as Lawsuit Moves Ahead
More than 500,000 registrations stuck by a DPS software error have been processed, state and county officials say. Voting rights groups are still asking a judge to enforce a 2021 settlement.
Election officials across Texas appear to have cleared a backlog of more than 500,000 voter registration applications and updates that sat unprocessed because of a state software error, Votebeat and The Texas Tribune reported Wednesday. Early voting begins Monday.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said last month the problem came from a software update to its online driver's license portal. Records dating back to October 2025 never reached county election offices.
"Texas counties have worked diligently and have cleared the backlog. We don't know of any counties with pending applications," said Alicia Pierce, spokesperson for the Secretary of State's office.
The Texas Association of County Election Officials also said it knows of no county still working through the backlog.
If you registered through DPS
Registrations that were postmarked or submitted through the DPS portal before the Oct. 5 deadline are valid for the Nov. 3 election, even if they are processed later, the Tribune reported.
If you registered through DPS but do not appear on the rolls when you vote, Pierce said you can cast a provisional ballot. "Election officials have an established method with DPS to check the transaction. If that voter did register through DPS, the vote will be counted," she said.
It is still wise to check your status on the Secretary of State's "Am I Registered?" page at VoteTexas.gov before you go.
Who did the work
Larger counties with outside vendors, including Dallas, Harris and Collin, got through their backlogs within a week. Many officials said problems with the state's voter registration system, known as TEAM, made the job harder. The Secretary of State's office is offering counties grants to cover overtime and temporary workers.
"If that means long nights and working weekends, county election officials are not going to fail the voters of Texas," said Kristin Miles, the association's president and Bastrop County's election administrator. She added that the state should look for ways to prevent such problems in the future.
The lawsuit
The League of Women Voters of Texas and MOVE Texas Civic Fund sued DPS and the Secretary of State in Bexar County's 224th District Court, the Tribune reported. They argue the state broke a 2021 settlement that requires Texans to be able to register to vote while updating a driver's license or ID online.
The groups want a judge to order a working registration process, records of the failures and proof of compliance within a month, according to the Tribune. DPS and the Secretary of State's office are expected to respond in court. Both groups were plaintiffs in the earlier case.
Credit where it is due
A state error left more than 500,000 registration records in limbo, and county clerks fixed it on nights and weekends. That deserves thanks, and the state owes voters a clear account of how it happened. Honest elections depend on accurate rolls. For what is on the ballot, read our statewide ballot guide, and if you plan to vote by mail, see our Oct. 23 deadline guide.
Hero photo: Funknendai via Wikimedia Commons, CC0, cropped and resized.
