Texas Says It Fixed a Software Glitch Behind Nearly 600,000 Voter Registration Delays

Texas officials say they have resolved a software problem that delayed nearly 600,000 voter-registration applications connected to driver’s-license transactions. The issue surfaced as counties prepared for early voting, which is scheduled to begin on October 19, 2026.

The backlog has prompted a lawsuit from the League of Women Voters Texas and MOVE Texas Civic Fund. The groups argue that the delay forms part of a broader pattern of voter suppression and has disenfranchised Texans whose registrations were not processed on time.

The state says the delayed applications have now been filed with voters’ home districts. County officials, however, have reported a separate system problem affecting roughly 15,000 additional registrations during the past month.

What caused the registration backlog?

Texas allows residents to register to vote or update their registration while obtaining or renewing a driver’s license. A software glitch related to that system caused applications to accumulate for about a year, according to the supplied reporting.

The Texas Secretary of State’s office has said the problem has been fixed and that the delayed applications were sent to the appropriate districts.

Why the lawsuit matters

The League of Women Voters Texas and MOVE Texas Civic Fund filed the lawsuit in Bexar County. It names Texas Secretary of State Robert S. Howden and his office, the Department of Public Safety and DPS Director Freeman F. Martin.

The plaintiffs characterize the delay as voter suppression. That is an allegation in the lawsuit, not a final judicial finding.

The source material does not provide a court ruling or a final resolution of the groups’ claims.

A second system error has complicated the response

While officials were addressing the larger backlog, county election administrators reported another problem affecting about 15,000 registrations over the previous month.

That second issue has increased pressure on county voter registrars just before early voting begins. Chris McGinn, executive director of the Texas Association of County Election Officials, said the new backlog arrived just as many counties were beginning to make progress on the earlier problem, according to reporting by The Texas Tribune.

The state says the nearly 600,000 delayed applications were filed after the original problem was fixed, while county officials have identified a separate recent disruption. The available reporting does not explain whether the two failures involve the same software, agency or stage of the registration process.

What affected Texas voters should do

The Texas Secretary of State’s office said that anyone still affected by the problem will be able to cast a provisional ballot.

County officials are working to address the additional registration problems before early voting begins on October 19.

What the state’s announcement does—and does not—resolve

The state’s statement says that the delayed applications have been filed and that the software glitch has been corrected. It does not, by itself, confirm that every affected voter’s registration has been fully processed.

Several questions remain open:

Question	What is currently known
Were the nearly 600,000 applications filed?	The Secretary of State’s office says they were sent to voters’ home districts.
Has every affected voter been added to the rolls?	The supplied reporting does not confirm that every record has been fully processed.
Is the original glitch fixed?	State officials say it has been fixed.
Are there still registration problems?	County officials report another issue affecting about 15,000 registrations.
What happens if a voter is still affected?	The state says affected voters can cast provisional ballots.
Has a court ruled on the lawsuit’s claims?	No ruling is provided in the available material.

Why timing has intensified the concern

The registration delays emerged immediately before early voting in a high-profile Texas election season. Counties are now working to address the additional problems before voting begins.

Representatives from the Secretary of State’s office and the Department of Public Safety did not immediately return a request for comment.

Sources

• CNET, “Texas Says It’s Fixed a Glitch That Delayed Nearly 600,000 Voter Registrations,” published October 17, 2026: https://www.cnet.com/news/politics/texas-computer-glitch-voter-registrations/
• The Texas Tribune, referenced in the supplied reporting regarding an additional registration-system error; publication date and URL were not provided.