A software glitch has delayed roughly 600,000 voter registrations across Texas. The problem surfaced just as early voting began in a major election cycle.
Voting rights groups filed a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Public Safety and the secretary of state. The suit claims the delay has overwhelmed local election offices.
The registration backlog stems from the state’s online voter registration system. A technical failure prevented applications from reaching county election officials on time.
County workers have scrambled to process the surge of late-arriving forms. Many registrations sat unprocessed for days or weeks before reaching local offices.
The lawsuit argues that eligible voters may be wrongly turned away at the polls. Texas law requires registration at least 30 days before an election.
Election officials in several counties have extended office hours to handle the backlog. Some have hired temporary staff to speed up data entry and verification.
The secretary of state’s office has not commented publicly on the lawsuit. The Department of Public Safety referred questions to the attorney general’s office.
Early voting started this week in Texas. Voters who submitted applications during the glitch period may still face verification delays at polling sites.
The lawsuit seeks emergency relief to ensure affected voters can cast regular ballots. A court hearing is expected before the end of the week.
Texas has some of the strictest voter registration rules in the country. The state does not offer same-day registration, making the delay particularly harmful.
Voting rights advocates say the glitch reveals deeper problems with the state’s election infrastructure. They are calling for an independent audit of the registration system.
County election administrators say they are working around the clock to fix the problem. They warn that some voters may need to cast provisional ballots while records are checked.
