Texas sued after glitch delays almost 600,000 voter registrations

Key Points:

• Texas faces a backlog of nearly 600,000 unprocessed voter registration applications due to a software glitch in the Department of Public Safety's online system, just days before early voting begins.
• A lawsuit filed by the League of Women Voters of Texas and Move Texas Civic Fund alleges that voter registrations submitted online between October 2025 and February 2026 were not properly recorded despite confirmation receipts being issued.
• The legal challenge targets Texas Secretary of State Robert Howden and DPS Director Freeman F Martin, demanding the establishment of a reliable voter registration process and transparency on registration failures.
• The registration failure has raised concerns about voter suppression ahead of the November 2026 election, which includes a high-profile US Senate race between Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico.
• California Senator Alex Padilla has called on Texas officials, including Governor Greg Abbott, to explain the registration system failure and provide details on the scope of the issue.