Travis County Receives About 32,000 DPS Voter Registration Applications Overnight
A sudden delivery of tens of thousands of voter registration records has given the Travis County Tax Office a major processing job just days before Texas' Oct. 5 voter registration deadline.
On Sept. 23, Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar Celia Israel announced that the office received approximately 32,000 applications from the Texas Department of Public Safety overnight, bringing the county's total number of DPS applications to more than 35,000 records awaiting processing.
County Staff Facing a Large Processing Load
Those records are arriving on top of applications submitted through other channels. The county said it is also processing registrations delivered through its network of Volunteer Deputy Registrars and applications mailed directly to the Texas Secretary of State, with additional registrations expected before the deadline.
Israel said the office has adopted an "all-hands-on-deck" approach to handling the volume, with the stated goal of processing applications accurately, efficiently and in accordance with state law.
In her statement, Israel also expressed disappointment with DPS over the situation while saying she had confidence in Travis County employees to process the records. That criticism represents the voter registrar's stated view; the county release does not include a DPS response.
What Travis County Voters Can Do
For residents who recently submitted voter registration information through DPS, the situation makes it especially useful to verify registration status rather than assume the transaction has already appeared in county records.
The important date is Oct. 5, the registration deadline referenced by the Travis County voter registrar. The large batch of DPS applications does not by itself establish that any individual voter is improperly registered or will be unable to vote.
Travis County says staff are working through the increased volume. My Neighborhood News will continue sharing registration deadlines and verified local election information as it becomes available.
Residents can check their voter registration status through the Texas Secretary of State and find registration instructions on VoteTexas.gov.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
Local business spotlight
Grow your business
where trust already lives.
Let’s introduce your business to the neighbors nearby.
Have a local favorite?
Let’s make an introduction.
Leave your email and our team will reach out with ways to promote your business.
Give a local favorite a little love.
Know a business your neighbors should discover? Tell us who they are.
We couldn’t send that just yet. Please try again.
