DPS Voter Registration Failure: Abbott Must Support County Election Officials

“Texas county election officials should not be left to absorb the consequences of a state-level failure on their own. County clerks and elections administrators in communities across every corner of Texas are now being forced to clean up DPS’s mess, working around the clock to process records that should have reached them months ago. DPS acknowledged that a system error prevented some voter registration applications and updates submitted through its online driver’s license portal from reaching county registrars just days before the October 5 voter registration deadline. 

Election officials across the state are already facing a significant additional workload at one of the busiest points in the election calendar. The Governor, DPS and the Secretary of State should immediately make whatever staffing, technical support and other resources that are necessary available to county election offices so they can process these records accurately and on time. In a state where only 61% of registered voters cast ballots in the 2024 general election, every legitimate voter should have confidence that the registration system will work when they use it.”

Terri Burke, Texas Democratic Party Executive Director