Story perspectives

DPS System Error Leaves 80,000 Texas Voter Registrations Unprocessed

By Drooid · Sep 25, 2026, 3:17 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Texas election officials are processing thousands of voter registrations after a Department of Public Safety system error.
The error left over 45,000 records in Bexar County and more than 35,000 in Travis County unprocessed.
Bexar County Elections Administrator Michele Carew said staff are extending hours to finish before early voting on Oct. 19.
Secretary of State spokesperson Alicia Pierce told NBC News voters missing from rolls can cast provisional ballots.

History

Historical Context

The 2000 presidential race hinged on Florida, where Secretary of State Katherine Harris ordered a manual review that culminated in the U.S. Supreme Court’s Bush v. Gore decision, sealing Bush’s win by a 537-vote margin out of 5.96 million votes. The controversy spurred the Help America Vote Act, and a similar voter-registration database error now threatens Texas elections.

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Story summary

Texas election officials are processing thousands of voter registrations after a Department of Public Safety system error.
The error left over 45,000 records in Bexar County and more than 35,000 in Travis County unprocessed.
Bexar County Elections Administrator Michele Carew said staff are extending hours to finish before early voting on Oct. 19.
Secretary of State spokesperson Alicia Pierce told NBC News voters missing from rolls can cast provisional ballots.

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