Texas Voter Registration Backlog Nears 600,000 as Early Voting Starts October 19; Secretary of State Blames System Replacement
The Texas Secretary of State's office has confirmed that the statewide backlog of unprocessed voter registration applications at one point reached about 580,000 and could surpass the record 594,000 set in 2016. The Texas Tribune reported on October 13 that the office's early-October monthly report showed the backlog could climb past 600,000 this month. Early voting in Texas for the November 3 midterm election begins Monday, October 19; the registration deadline was October 5.
The office attributes the backlog to the replacement of the statewide voter registration system — the new TEAM system replaced the long-used SAVE system, and counties depend on the state office to process address changes, name changes and cancellations — compounded by a programming error in the Department of Public Safety's driver's license portal that kept some online registrations from being transmitted. At a July Senate State Affairs Committee hearing, election officials from several counties complained of processing delays and poor communication.
On October 9, the League of Women Voters of Texas and MOVE Texas Civic Fund sued the Secretary of State's office and the Department of Public Safety in Bexar County's 224th District Court, alleging violations of a 2021 settlement agreement over online voter registration and asking the court to order the process fixed; the groups seek no monetary damages. USA Today reported on October 15 that Secretary of State's office spokesperson Alicia Pierce said counties have largely cleared the backlog, the office is not aware of counties with pending applications, and grants are being offered to cover counties' processing costs. The lawsuit remains pending.
The Texas Tribune also reported that the Department of Public Safety alerted counties in February that, under a law passed in 2025, voters updating a driver's license must show proof of citizenship, and registrations with mismatched records could be canceled.
Source: Texas Tribune and USA Today reporting and public statements by the Texas Secretary of State's office.
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Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 位于奥斯汀的德克萨斯州议会大厦（2025年摄）。Farragutful 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，Wikimedia Commons。
