Harris County has processed more than 75,000 backlogged voter registrations ahead of early voting, which begins Monday, Oct. 19.

The registrations were part of a statewide pileup of more than 500,000 records that went unprocessed for over a year, Votebeat first reported. The Texas Department of Public Safety said the problem was tied to a software update for its online driver's license portal. Residents also use that portal to register to vote or update their address.

Both the Texas Secretary of State's Office and the Texas Association of County Election Officials said on Wednesday, Oct. 14, that no county is still working through the backlog. Spokesperson Alicia Pierce said in an email that counties "have worked diligently" and the office does not know of any county with pending applications.

Harris County was among the large counties that cleared the backlog within a week, according to Votebeat. Harris County Tax Assessor and Voter Registrar Annette Ramirez told the Associated Press the effort was significant given the county's size. "With our size, that was a big win for our county," Ramirez said.

The backlog is cleared. But a lawsuit is not.

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, who represents Spring in Senate District 7, flagged the resolution on his KSEV Radio account on X. The secretary of state's office said it is offering counties grants to cover overtime and temporary workers who helped process the records.

What Spring voters should know

Registrations submitted through the DPS portal or postmarked before the Oct. 5 deadline are valid for the Nov. 3 election, even if they were processed late, according to Votebeat. Voters who registered through DPS but do not appear on the voter roll can cast a provisional ballot. Election officials will verify the transaction with DPS, and the vote will be counted if the registration is confirmed, Pierce said.

Harris County residents can check their registration status on the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector's website, according to Houston Public Media.

Lawsuit still pending

Voting rights groups have sued the state over the backlog. The League of Women Voters of Texas and MOVE Texas Civic Fund filed suit in Bexar County's 224th District Court, Votebeat reported. The plaintiffs allege the backlog breached a 2021 settlement that required Texas to maintain a functioning voter registration process through the DPS portal. The lawsuit asks a judge to order DPS and the secretary of state's office to produce records documenting the failures and prove compliance within a month.

Early voting details

Harris County has 75 early voting locations, and voters can cast a ballot at any of them. Two are in Spring:

  • Cactus Jack Cagle Community Center, Grand Hall, 709 Riley Fuzzel Road
  • George H.W. Bush Community Center, Room 119, 6827 Cypresswood Drive

Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 19–24, noon to 7 p.m. Oct. 25, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 26–30. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, with polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. statewide.