More than 1.2 million Texans — about 6% of the state’s registered voters — are on the official “suspense” list three months before the November midterms, The Dallas Morning News reported.
A suspense listing usually means a county does not have a current address or mail was returned as undeliverable. It does not cancel the right to vote. The News reported that a voter who appears on Election Day can fill out a statement of residence and cast a regular ballot if they still live in the same county. Voters who have moved to a new county may be sent to their old precinct or given a provisional ballot.
Local counts cited by the News include more than 129,000 suspense voters in Dallas County, more than 73,000 in Tarrant County, and about 56,000 each in Collin and Denton counties.
The deadline to update a registration for November is Oct. 5, the News reported. Voters can check status and change an address on the Texas secretary of state’s website, at a county elections office or by mail. The lookup requires a driver’s license or ID, Social Security number and voter unique identifier.
Advocacy groups and some elected officials have urged Texans to check now so they are not surprised at the polls. Election administrators describe the list as routine list maintenance, not a purge. Texas is also sharing voter-roll data with the federal government, The Texas Tribune has reported, a separate process from the suspense designation.
The close U.S. Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico has drawn extra attention to turnout mechanics. Officials say the safest step is to confirm an address before early voting begins.
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