Texas Election Officials Uncover 200,000 Delayed Voter Registration Applications Ahead of Midterms

• by Shimanta Das
• October 1, 2026

Texas election officials are scrambling to process a backlog of at least 200,000 voter registration applications and updates after discovering a state error that left the applications languishing for months. The problem, which officials in the Republican-controlled state have not publicly defined, could have disenfranchised voters who wanted to cast ballots in the March primary but whose registration applications were never processed, local election officials said during a news conference Wednesday. The Texas secretary of state’s office told election officials last week that a glitch in the Department of Public Safety’s system had prevented certain incomplete voter registration applications—those missing some information—from being forwarded to election officials, potentially leaving Texans unregistered or with out-of-date voter files. The nonprofit news outlet Votebeat was first to report the issue.

County election officials said it is possible that some people were prevented from voting in the March primary or initially turned away because there was no record of them registering or updating their registration. “They also want to know how many of the applications and updates that languished were submitted before the March primary,” officials said. The backlog is now highlighting just how difficult it can be to register to vote in Texas, voting rights experts said. With the critical midterm elections just weeks away, officials must process the applications in time for voters to participate. The last day to register to vote in Texas is Oct. 11.

Texas officials sent tens of thousands of delayed voter registration applications to county election officials this week, sparking a rush to process them. Key Texas Republicans, including state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, who has championed legislation on election administration and voter list maintenance for years, and state Rep. [Name], have also raised concerns. The error has prompted calls for accountability and questions about how many applicants were affected before the primary. As the state works to resolve the issue, voters are urged to check their registration status and ensure they are eligible to vote in November.