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- calendar_today November 7, 2026
Texas Acknowledges Problems with Upgraded Voter Registration System
After more than a year of widespread concerns and complaints, Texas officials have recognized that the state’s upgraded voter registration management system, known as TEAM, has not met the expected performance standards. The state is moving forward with plans to audit the system and collaborate directly with local election officials in order to address ongoing challenges.
State Announces Audit and Creation of Working Groups
On Wednesday, Texas issued a request for proposals for an independent audit of the TEAM system. The audit aims to assess whether the system functions properly and meets the needs of county election officials. In a communication sent Friday by Christina Adkins, director of the secretary of state’s elections division, county officials were informed that the audit will examine system modules, user needs, and the long-term viability of TEAM. State officials also announced the formation of working groups that will include county election administrators and other officials to gather feedback and define system improvement priorities.
Challenges with TEAM System Documented Since 2025 Rollout
The TEAM system was redesigned by Louisiana-based Civix and rolled out across the state in the summer of 2025. Almost immediately, county election officials reported difficulties using the new platform for essential daily operations and election preparations. Complaints included slow performance, system instability, and limited functionality—such as the inability to sort records by date submitted or bulk process mail-in ballots, forcing time-consuming manual workarounds.
Election officials expressed that these problems complicated efforts to resolve large state-backed logjams of voter registration records before major elections. Some officials also cited ongoing backlogs and difficulties managing voter registrations, exacerbated by a rare midcycle redistricting passed by Texas lawmakers in the previous year.
Collaboration and Transparency Promised by State Leadership
In a news release, Secretary of State Robert Howden emphasized that Texas had conducted multiple statewide elections using the updated TEAM system and learned valuable lessons in the process. Howden noted that, with no major statewide elections planned for the coming year, the state has an opportunity to seek input from local officials and incorporate their feedback into future system enhancements. The inclusion of county officials and the vendor Civix in working groups is intended to ensure that improvements are closely aligned with the needs of those administering elections at the county level.
The state also introduced a ticketing system for county officials to track and manage the resolution of system issues—a frequent request from local administrators.
Reaction from Election Administrators and Next Steps
Kristin Miles, president of the Texas Association of County Election Officials and Bastrop County’s elections administrator, praised the state’s recent efforts, noting that local officials had carried the weight of unresolved TEAM issues throughout the year’s elections. Miles stated their organization would closely monitor the state’s commitments, ensuring that collaborative solutions are implemented according to schedule and with genuine local involvement.
The audit is set to begin in December, and the working groups—including officials from across counties and representatives of Civix—are expected to convene in December and January. The findings of the audit will be available in time to inform considerations for the 2027 legislative session.
County Election Officials Persevere in Challenging Conditions
Despite the ongoing obstacles, local election administrators were able to ensure smooth election days for voters, most recently during a major midterm event in which at least 9 million Texans voted. The continued effort to identify and resolve issues with the registration management system reflects the state’s focus on supporting fair and efficient election administration statewide.
Source: feeds.texastribune.org.
