MELISSA GOLDIN | Associated Press
Social media users are raising alarms over the inclusion of 1.2 million voters on Texas’ “suspense list,” claiming it shows efforts to tamper with the November midterms.
But despite its name, voters’ registrations are not canceled if they are added to the list. They are still able to vote.
Here’s a closer look at the facts.
CLAIM: Texas has suspended 1.2 million voters, meaning they can’t participate in coming elections.
THE FACTS: False. More than 1.2 million people — about 6.6 percent of the more than 18 million registered voters in Texas — were listed as “suspense voters” by the Texas Secretary of State’s office as of March 2026. This means that voters’ residential addresses must be confirmed before they can cast a ballot. They are not prevented from voting.
The suspense list was created more than 30 years ago as a method for maintaining accurate voter rolls.
“This is a routine and ongoing effort to keep voter registration rolls up to date,” said Mark Lindeman, policy and strategy director at Verified Voting, a nonpartisan group focused on election technology. “It’s always good practice for everyone to check their voter registration status regularly.”
Voters are put on the suspense list when an election official is not sure if their current residence is the one listed in their records. This may happen if their registration certificate, a jury summons or other mailing has been returned as nondeliverable, or if any other information indicates they no longer live there. A notice requesting confirmation of the voter’s address is sent when they are added to the list.
“Texas counties have utilized the suspense list as a way to keep voter rolls updated and protect the rights of Texans to cast their ballots for many years,” said Alicia Pierce, a spokesperson for the Texas Secretary of State’s Office. “There is nothing new about this process and the numbers are consistent with what we have seen in previous election cycles.”
Pierce encouraged voters to check their status before the Oct. 5 registration deadline and update their address if necessary.
What should voters on the suspense list do next?
If voters have moved, they can update their address by sending in a voter registration application by Oct. 5. Voters who miss the deadline and moved within the same county can vote early or on Election Day by filling out a statement of residence form.
Those who miss the deadline and have moved to a new county can vote in the new county by filling out a limited ballot during the early voting period only. Limited ballots include only candidates and measures shared between the voter’s old and new county.
Voters on the suspense list who haven’t moved can confirm their address by completing a statement of residence form. Any questions should be directed to the Texas Elections Division.
Under state and federal law, voters are only removed from voter rolls after they have been sent a notice that their registration is subject to cancellation and two subsequent federal election cycles have passed without any response or voting activity.
Voter registration cannot be canceled only because of a failure to vote.
The suspense list was established in 1995. It was a response to the National Voter Registration Act passed two years earlier, which requires states to maintain accurate voter rolls. Many other states, aside from the six that are exempt from the act, have similar systems in place. Suspense voters are typically called inactive voters outside of Texas.
“The top line for voters is this is not something to be worried about at all,” said Chris Mann, research director at the Center for Election Innovation and Research. “In fact, voters should be reassured that Texas is doing what it is supposed to be doing under the law and best practice.”
Find AP Fact Checks at APNews.com/APFactCheck.
Register to vote
If you intend to vote in Texas in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, you must be registered no later than Monday, Oct. 5.
If you have previously registered to vote, you should make sure your registration remains valid. You can do that by visiting Texas.Gov/Living-In-Texas/Texas-Voter-Registration.
You can update your address at that same website.
To register, you simply complete a voter registration application and return it to the election office in your county by the Oct. 5 deadline. You can find a voter registration form online at the Texas Secretary of State website VoteTexas.gov. You can also use that website to request a printed application, which will be mailed, postage paid, to the address you provide.
You can also visit your local voter registrar’s office and complete the application there. Visit VoteTexas.gov to find the location of the voter registrar’s office in your county. And if you are renewing or updating your Texas driver’s license of Texas ID, you can register to vote during part of that same process.
Early voting and mail-in voting
Early voting by personal appearance in Texas begins Monday, Oct. 19, and runs through Friday, Oct. 30.
The last day to apply for a ballot by mail is Friday, Oct. 23. That is the date by which the county clerk in your county must have received the application, not a “post-marked by” date.
For your mail-in ballot to be counted, it must by received by the county clerk’s office no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day if the carrier envelope is not postmarked. If the carrier envelope is postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day at the location of the election, then the deadline for it to be received at the county clerk’s office is 5 p.m. the day after the election (Wednesday, Nov. 4).
Prepare to vote
To vote in person in Texas, you need to present one of the following approved forms of photo ID:
- Texas driver license
- Texas election identification
certificate - Texas personal ID card
- U.S. military ID card with photo
- U.S. citizenship certificate
with photo - U.S. passport book or card.
Find more information at Texas.gov/Living-In-Texas/Texas-Voter-Registration.