Texas primary runoff elections: Fort Bend County experiencing county-wide poll book issue

FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas - The Fort Bend County Elections Office has confirmed they are experiencing a county-wide issue with their poll book.

Fort Bend County experiencing county-wide issue with poll book

What we know:

According to Chase Wilson, who is the Fort Bend County Election Administrator, the issue began around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.

Officials said their check-in poll book wasn't working.

Wilson stated there was a bad file that was uploaded and temporarily suspended the operations.

A solution to the issue is currently being worked on.

Elections officials said some people can still check in and others are able to vote provisionally.

What they're saying:

FOX 26 just received the following statement from the Congressman Christian Menefee regarding the poll book:

"The Menefee campaign is aware of reports that voting machines in Fort Bend County have been down since at least 3:15 p.m. today, with no clear timeline for when they will be restored. Fort Bend County officials have confirmed the outages.

"To every voter in Fort Bend County: please still go vote. Officials are working to fix this as quickly as possible. In the meantime, eligible voters may cast a provisional ballot. Your vote matters, and we want you to cast it," said Congressman Christian Menefee.

"Fort Bend County officials must do what is necessary to extend poll hours tonight. Voters should not lose a single minute of their right to vote because of a technical failure outside of their control. The right to vote is too important to shortchange anyone," Menefee continued.

The Menefee campaign is monitoring the situation closely and will provide updates to the public as they are available."

Fort Bend County Elections Adminstrator talks issue with FOX 26

Chase Wilson, Election Administrator for Fort Bend County, gave some additional information on the county-wide poll book issue that is still occurring in Fort Bend County.

According to Wilson, it's very normal to periodically update the poll book while voting is going on to update voter registration and things like that. However, when the update was being performed, there was an error and so the wrong file was chosen.

Wilson tells FOX 26, it's a very simple mistake that has caused a massive issue, disabling all of the poll books across Fort Bend County and voters were unable to check in.

Wilson stated they are working on getting a solution out right now. He said it's been flowing and he said for the last hour some voters have been able to check in normally while others are having to use provisional ballots.

Wilson further stated this is simply a delay, there is no risk of the integrity of the election or the vote.

Wilson added because this is a partisan election, they are working with party chairs on whether they can extend election day hours.

Fort Bend County Democratic Party statement

The Fort Bend County Democratic Party has released a statement regarding the county-wide outage that has occurred in Fort Bend County:

"The Party is aware that voting machines are currently being updated, and efforts are underway to extend polling hours accordingly. However, it is important to note that during the March Primary Election, when a similar situation occurred in Dallas County, the Texas Supereme Court ruled that ballots cast after 7 p.m. were ineligible to be counted.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as they become available. In the meantime, we strongly encourage voters to request a provisional ballot to ensure their vote is documented."

Statement From Dexter McCoy on Voting Disruptions in Fort Bend County

"Today, the Dexter McCoy for Fort Bend County Judge Campaign issued a statement urging voters to continue turning out to cast their ballot despite technical disruptions in the county’s system.

We are aware of ongoing issues affecting voting across Fort Bend County and the County Elections Administration is working to resolve them as quickly as possible," said Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter McCoy. "Right now the most important message our community needs to have is this: If you are legally registered to vote you should not let these issues get in the way. Go to your nearest voting location and cast your ballot, even if it needs to be a provisional ballot.

Every eligible voter deserves to have their voice heard, and no voter should walk away believing their vote does not matter. Fort Bend County is stronger when people participate, and I want voters to know this: your vote is your voice, and your voice still matters. Do not give up. Stay in line, ask questions if you need help, and make sure your ballot is cast."

What we don't know:

Officials could not provide a time frame for when the poll book issue will be fixed.

What's on your ballot?

The Democratic and Republican primary runoff elections are today. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Click the links below to find your sample ballot and see who you will be voting for.

The Source: Fort Bend County Elections Administrator Chase Wilson

Fort Bend County 2026 Elections News