A software malfunction in Texas has caused a delay affecting nearly 600,000 voter registration applications, creating a last-minute scramble among election officials ahead of early voting scheduled to begin Monday. The issue has raised concerns as Texas hosts one of the nation’s most competitive U.S. Senate races this election cycle.
The backlog stemmed from a glitch in software maintained by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), according to a lawsuit filed earlier this month by voting rights organizations. The groups allege that the DPS and Texas Secretary of State Robert Howden, the state's chief election officer, failed to maintain a reliable online voter registration system.
The error occurred on a website handling driver’s license applications that also processes voter registration requests. Voters who opted to register between December 2025 and February 2026 received confirmation receipts, but their registration data was never properly recorded, the lawsuit states. The suit, filed in Bexar County and brought by the League of Women Voters Texas and Move Texas Civic Fund, calls for corrective action and seeks to determine whether the issue was a result of intentional interference or accidental error.
Rochelle Garza, president of the Texas Civil Rights Project, which is litigating the case, emphasized the need for transparency to understand the root cause of the malfunction. "The only way to do that is through litigation," she said.
Texas counties reported working extensively to clear the backlog, which arrived in bulk last month, overwhelming local election officials during critical early voting preparations. Some applications dated back to late last year, compounding the workload. Kristin Miles, president of the Texas Association of County Election Officials and Bastrop County’s election administrator, described the effort as taxing, requiring extended hours and additional staff.
To alleviate the strain, larger counties hired temporary workers, and the secretary of state has offered reimbursement for overtime and other costs incurred. Voters who believed they had registered but do not appear on registration rolls have been advised that they can cast provisional ballots on Election Day.
The incident has also drawn scrutiny to the software vendors involved. The election management systems rely on companies including Civix, contracted by the Secretary of State’s office, and Deloitte, which performed a system upgrade believed to have introduced the glitch. State Senator Paul Bettencourt, formerly a Harris County voter registrar, suggested that government officials failed to identify the problem promptly following the upgrade.
Despite the backlog’s severity, county officials indicated that most registrations had been processed by midweek, reducing the likelihood that eligible voters would be prevented from casting ballots. However, some voting advocates expressed concern that the disruption could depress turnout by undermining public confidence in the registration process.
Senator Alex Padilla of California, ranking member of the Senate Rules Committee and a federal elections overseer, requested an explanation from Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Secretary of State Howden regarding the failure’s scope and cause. He stressed the principle that all eligible voters should have the opportunity to vote and have their votes counted.
The Texas Department of Public Safety declined to comment on the ongoing litigation. Meanwhile, election officials continue efforts to ensure voters have access to the polls despite the unexpected administrative challenge.