Unsent Texas voter applications filed through the DPS driver’s-license portal will begin moving to county registrars this week; the statewide backlog is unknown. People who submit applications before Oct. 5 remain eligible to vote even if processing delays continue.
Reported county backlogs include about 45,000 applications in Bexar County, more than 40,000 in Collin, about 32,000 in Travis, over 9,000 in Brazoria, 8,100 in Hays and about 5,000 in Cameron. The issue surfaced weeks before November’s midterms; some county offices may need temporary staff, and the backlog may have prevented some Texans from voting in the March primary.
Texas does not offer online voter registration, but residents can register when renewing a driver’s license or updating an address online. A voter who registered through DPS but is missing from the rolls can cast a provisional ballot; officials say it will count if DPS confirms the registration. About six million Texans used the portal to register from 2020 to 2024, nearly a third of the state’s registered voters.
