Over 1.2 million Texas voter registrations have been flagged on the state’s suspense list ahead of the November 2026 midterm election, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s office. The designations, affecting more than 6% of the state’s 18 million registered voters, typically indicate that election officials have reason to believe a voter no longer lives at the address on file.
The suspense list is not a cancellation of voter registration. Voters placed on it remain registered and can still cast a ballot in the midterm election, though they may need to take additional steps depending on whether their address has changed.
A voter is typically placed on the suspense list when a voter registration card or other election mail is returned to a county’s election administrator as undeliverable, according to Alicia Pierce, assistant secretary of state for communications. This can happen when a voter moves and doesn’t update their registration, or when address information becomes outdated.
Texans have until October 5, 2026 to update their voter registration to be removed from the suspense list before the November 3 election. Voters can update their addresses online through the Secretary of State’s website or by submitting a new voter registration application marked as a change of address.
If a voter on the suspense list hasn’t moved, they can still vote by completing a Statement of Residence at the polls or by mail. For voters who have moved within the same county, they can update their address before the October 5 deadline or vote at their old precinct on Election Day after completing the Statement of Residence. Voters who have moved to a different county can apply for a limited ballot during early voting, which allows them to vote in races common to both their old and new counties.
If voters remain on the suspense list for two full federal election cycles—approximately four years—they are removed from the voter rolls entirely, according to state officials. Pierce emphasized that the current number of voters on the suspense list is consistent with what Texas has seen in previous election cycles.
Voter registration faces new barriers as SAVE Act looms for Senate vote, with ongoing federal and state efforts to maintain accurate voter rolls. Pierce encouraged all Texans to check their voter registration status at VoteTexas.gov and to address any suspense list status before the October 5 deadline to ensure they can vote smoothly in the midterm election.
Sources
- KERA News — reporting from the Texas Newsroom on the 1.2 million voters on the suspense list, what the designation means, and steps voters can take to update their registration
- FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth — statement from Texas Secretary of State spokesperson Alicia Pierce on the suspense list, how voters end up on it, and the process for updating registration
- USA Today — confirmation that over 1.2 million Texas voters are on the suspense list due to unconfirmed addresses and that being on the list does not cancel voter registration
- VoteTexas.gov — official state resource confirming voters can still vote if on the suspense list and providing guidance on address confirmation
