San Antonio – Bexar County Elections Administrator Michele Carew announced Saturday that a state‑level error prevented over 45,000 voter‑registration applications submitted through the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) from reaching the county office during the past year. The problem affected applications dating back to October 2024 and may have caused some provisional ballots to be rejected in recent elections, including the March 2026 primary.

What happened

When voters update their driver’s licenses or obtain a new license, they can also register to vote online through DPS. Because of a data‑transfer glitch, those applications were not loaded into Bexar County’s voter‑registration system. Carew said the issue was first identified on Sept. 23, after the county received notice from the state.

Impact on voters

Carew estimates roughly 45,000 people could have been affected. Many of those voters submitted provisional ballots that were rejected because the county’s rolls did not show a current registration. “We’re finding there are 45,000 people who could have been affected, who submitted a provisional ballot and whose ballot was rejected for not registering in time,” she told reporters at the Texas Tribune Festival.

She added that the missed registrations are unlikely to have altered any race outcomes. “There wasn’t anything that close in Bexar County,” Carew said.

Steps to resolve the backlog

The county is now working overtime to process the delayed applications before the Nov. 3, 2026 midterm election. Carew noted that once a provisional ballot is cast, the voter is automatically entered into the system for the next election, so many of those whose ballots were rejected will be eligible to vote this November.

“They’re still finding them and bringing them over to the portals,” Carew explained. “So 45,000 was just the beginning number.” The voter‑registration deadline for the upcoming election is Oct. 5.

Transparency measures

To rebuild confidence, the county is adding live‑stream cameras to monitor each ballot from arrival to counting. “We’re trying to be more transparent now more than ever, just because voters are really having a hard time believing that their vote counts,” Carew said.

She also clarified the purpose of the state’s “suspense list,” which flags voters who may have moved without updating their address. The list is a standard tool for maintaining accurate rolls, and those on it can still vote in November by confirming their address before the deadline or completing an additional form at the polls.

Looking ahead

Carew’s office will continue to audit the backlog and compare it to rejected provisional ballots to determine the exact number of affected voters. While the issue highlights a technical flaw, county officials remain confident in the overall integrity of Bexar County’s election process.

Voters can check their registration status online at the county’s official website.

Original reporting: San Antonio Report — read the source article.