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Houston-area counties processing backlogged voter registrations as deadline approaches
Monday, Oct. 5, is the deadline for Texans to register to vote. Meanwhile, counties in the Houston area have been processing almost a year's worth of applications that they just received last month. FOX 26's Karys Belger shares the update from multiple counties as of Oct. 2 and what all Texas voters should know ahead of the election.
HOUSTON - Harris County says it has completed processing a backlog of voter registration records submitted through the Texas Department of Public Safety, as election offices across the Houston area work through thousands of delayed records ahead of Monday’s voter registration deadline.
The update provides a clearer picture of how the DPS backlog has affected some of the Houston area’s largest counties — and what the delays mean for voters whose registration information may not yet appear online.
Texas voter registration backlog: Houston-area updates
What we know:
Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar Annette Ramirez says her office has completed processing the backlog of voter registration records received through DPS.
Her office tells FOX 26 it received more than 75,000 records from DPS, including approximately 11,000 that required additional manual review because they could not immediately be matched to an existing voter or an existing voter’s information.
A few hundred records still require further review to confirm the correct precinct placement. The county expects that review to be completed Friday.
More than 50 members of the Harris County Tax Office team worked to process the unexpected records, according to Ramirez.
By the numbers:
Other Houston-area counties have also been working through thousands of records.
Fort Bend County tells FOX 26 roughly 18,000 records were affected. Approximately 15,000 had already been processed.
Brazoria County says it received approximately 9,000 records Wednesday. By Thursday, roughly 900 remained. The county had 20 people working to process the remaining records Friday and planned to bring in another crew Saturday to finish the work.
Montgomery County received approximately 34,000 records connected to the DPS issue.
The figures provided by counties refer to records and should not necessarily be interpreted as the same number of individual new voters.
What they're saying:
Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar Annette Ramirez provided the following statement to FOX 26:
"The Office of the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector & Voter Registrar Annette Ramirez has completed processing the backlog of voter registration records submitted through the Texas Department of Public Safety. Our top priority is ensuring that every eligible voter in Harris County who registered on time can cast a ballot for the November 3rd election. Thanks to the diligent work of the 50+ members of our team, we were able to process these unexpected records and make sure eligible voters’ information was updated as quickly and accurately as possible. Approximately 11,000 of the more than 75,000 records we received from DPS required additional manual review by our team. This included records that could not be matched to an existing voter or an existing voter’s information. We have manually reviewed all 11,000 and have completed our processing of the vast majority of those records. There are a few hundred records that require still further review to confirm correct precinct placement. We are currently reviewing those records, and we expect that review to be complete today. Consistent with the normal process in Texas, any new registrations will need to be assigned VUIDs by the state, so people whose registrations were in the backlog and processed by our office may not immediately see an update in their registration status. We encourage Harris County voters to continually check their registration status at HCTAX.NET. Voters should verify their current voter registration information is up to date and on file ahead of the October 5th voter registration deadline. Please call 713-274-VOTE (8683), if you need assistance in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, or Chinese."
What voters should know
What you can do:
The Texas Secretary of State’s Office tells FOX 26 that a delay in county processing does not change the effective date of a voter registration submitted through DPS.
The state says the effective date will be the date of the DPS transaction.
That means if a voter completed the DPS transaction on or before Oct. 5, the registration will be in time for the Nov. 3 election, even if the county does not finish processing it until later.
The Secretary of State’s Office also says voters whose registrations were submitted through DPS online services but who do not appear on the voter rolls can cast a provisional ballot.
Election officials have an established method with DPS to check the transaction. If officials confirm the voter registered through DPS, the Secretary of State’s Office says the vote will be counted.
The state is also providing grant funding to help offset the cost of additional personnel as counties process the delayed registrations.
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Texas voter registration backlog: What you should know (PREVIOUS COVERAGE)
There is reportedly a nearly year-long backlog of Texas voter registration applications after the Department of Public Safety failed to forward them to county offices. Texas Tribune reporter Natalie Contreras joined "Houston Live and Local" with what voters should know.
What we don't know:
At least 200,000 delayed voter registration applications and updates have been identified across Texas, according to previously published reporting.
However, the exact number of individual voters affected statewide remains unclear.
The records include both new voter registration applications and updates to existing voter records, such as address changes. That means the number of delayed records should not automatically be interpreted as the same number of individual voters affected.
The counties are also at different stages of processing those records.
Harris County, for example, received more than 75,000 records and says it has completed processing the backlog. A few hundred records still require additional review to confirm correct precinct placement.
What's next:
Harris County expects to finish reviewing the remaining few hundred records requiring confirmation of correct precinct placement Friday.
Harris County is encouraging voters to continue checking their registration status at HCTAX.NET. Voters who need assistance can call 713-274-VOTE (8683), with assistance available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese.
Brazoria County plans to bring in another crew Saturday to finish processing its remaining records.
The statewide deadline to register for the Nov. 3 election is Monday, Oct. 5.
The Secretary of State’s Office says a voter whose DPS transaction occurred on or before Oct. 5 will be registered in time for the November election even if the county processes the record later.
Texas voting guide: Registration deadline is Oct. 5. Here's what you should know
The Source: Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector & Voter Registrar Annette Ramirez; Fort Bend County election officials; Brazoria County election officials; Texas Secretary of State’s Office; Montgomery County election officials.