Texas sued after software glitch delays nearly 600,000 voter registrations
A software failure in the US state of Texas kept almost 600,000 voter registration applications from being passed on for months. Two organisations have taken state officials to court as early voting opens Monday.
A lawsuit has been filed in the US state of Texas after a computer system failure left nearly 600,000 voter registration applications unprocessed. Election officials are now racing to clear the backlog, with early voting due to open on Monday and the November 2026 election approaching. Voting rights groups accuse state authorities of failing to ensure that eligible residents could properly register.
What happened
According to the suit, filed last week, the problem stems from the website of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), which handles driver's licence applications and was also meant to let users register to vote. Between October 2025 and February 2026, residents who answered "yes" when asked whether they wished to register received receipts confirming their choice, but their details were never recorded.
The complaint says DPS failed to send almost 600,000 registrations to the secretary of state's office, which is supposed to distribute them to local county registrars. Some of the delayed applications date back to October 2025.
Plaintiffs and demands
The plaintiffs are the League of Women Voters of Texas and Move Texas Civic Fund, a nonprofit that works to increase civic participation among young Texans. Defendants include Texas secretary of state Robert Howden, the state's top election official, and DPS director Freeman F Martin.
The suit asks that both agencies set up and maintain a functioning voter registration process. It also seeks records on the registration failures and an order requiring officials to give the court evidence of compliance within one month.
Political context
The case has drawn national attention because Texas is hosting one of the most closely contested US Senate races this year. Donald Trump chose state attorney general Ken Paxton to face James Talarico, a political newcomer whom Democrats hope can turn the long-time Republican seat Democratic.
California Democratic senator Alex Padilla, ranking member of the Senate rules committee, which oversees federal elections, wrote last month to governor Greg Abbott and Howden, asking how the failure happened and how many registrations were affected. Voting rights advocates meanwhile continue to warn of what they describe as wider efforts by the Trump administration to suppress voter participation.
