More than 2.1 million Texas voters are on the state’s suspended list, three months before the presidential election between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Voters should still be able to vote with a suspended status, but it will take an extra couple of steps. Here is what Texans should know about voter suspense ahead of the Nov. 5 general election.
What is the voter suspense list?
Suspense means your county does not know your address or thinks you moved, often because a voter registration card or jury summons sent through mail is returned as undeliverable.
New voter registration cards are mailed every two years to the most recent address on record. If you do not receive a new yellow and white certification card this year, it could mean you moved without updating your address.
What percent of voters are suspended?
Nearly 12% of Texas’ roughly 18 million voters are on the suspense list, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s Office.
How do I check my voter status?
Check your registration on the state’s portal or your county’s voter website.
What should you do if you’re suspended?
Update your address online by Oct. 7 — which is the deadline to register to vote — and be removed from the suspense list.
To do so, you will need your current driver’s license or ID, Social Security number and Voter Unique Identifier Number, or VUID on your registration card. You can also find your VUID number from your county registrar.
And after that?
If you arrive to your polling place and find that you are on the suspense list, don’t worry. You can still vote, but it will require an extra step or two.
First, you will be required to fill out a “statement of residence” form, which should be available at every polling location. That form will be used to update your voter registration, and you’ll be removed from the suspense list.
If you have moved to a separate county, you will be required to vote in your previous county or submit a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot is used to record a vote when there are questions about a voter’s eligibility that must be resolved before a vote can count.
To have your provisional ballot counted in Texas, you are required to visit your county’s registrar office within six days of the election to show an acceptable form of ID. You will be notified within 30 days of the election whether your provisional ballot was counted.
How long can you stay on the suspense list?
You will be removed from Texas’ voter rolls following two general elections on the suspense list, or roughly four years.