Election officials across Texas have successfully cleared a backlog of hundreds of thousands of voter registration applications and updates that had gone unprocessed for more than a year due to a state software error.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) confirmed last month that an error related to a software update for its online driver’s license portal was responsible for more than 500,000 voter registration records being caught in the system. The records involved dated back to October 2025.
Roughly a month after state officials acknowledged the problem, the Texas Secretary of State’s Office and the Texas Association of County Election Officials (TACOE) both stated on Wednesday that they are not aware of any county still working through the backlog. This effort came shortly before the state’s Oct. 5 voter registration deadline, requiring election officials to manage both the backlog and new daily applications.
Kristin Miles, president of TACOE and the Bastrop County election administrator, emphasized the dedication of county election officials. She noted that their commitment ensures eligible voters can cast ballots, even if it requires "long nights and working weekends." Miles added that the state "should be looking at ways to prevent those things from happening again in the future" to ensure county officials are not burdened by such issues, as they ultimately put in the work to get the job done.
Voting rights groups have filed lawsuits against the state, alleging that the backlog violated a 2021 settlement agreement. This agreement mandated that Texas provide a dependable method for individuals to register to vote through the DPS online driver’s license portal.
Some counties, including Dallas, Harris, and Collin, were able to resolve their portion of the backlog within a week, aided by better resources, outside vendors, and additional technology. However, many officials reported that issues with the Secretary of State’s voter registration system, known as TEAM, complicated the backlog resolution during this critical period.
The Texas Secretary of State’s Office had offered grants to counties to help cover costs associated with the backlog. On Wednesday, the office confirmed that it is still providing funding to cover overtime expenses and temporary workers. Alicia Pierce, a spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s office, stated via email on Wednesday, "Texas counties have worked diligently and have cleared the backlog. We don’t know of any counties with pending applications."
While the specific backlog linked to DPS records has been resolved, county election officials continue to process new voter registration applications received by mail and in person. For the Nov. 3 election, registrations postmarked or submitted through the DPS portal by the Oct. 5 deadline will be considered valid, even if processed later.
Pierce confirmed that if a voter registered through the DPS web portal but does not appear on the voter roll, they retain the option to cast a provisional ballot. Election officials will then undertake additional steps, including checking the transaction with DPS, to verify eligibility and ensure the vote is counted.
