san antonio tx, October 19, 2025
News Summary
Texas election officials are requesting a pause on the new TEAM voter registration system due to technical issues that have disrupted voter registration processing. A letter to Secretary of State Jane Nelson highlights problems such as inaccurate voter lists and inconsistent application processing, raising concerns about the upcoming November elections. County officials are asking for a clear timeline for resolving these issues and improved communication with the state during critical voting periods.
San Antonio — Election officials in Texas are requesting the state to pause the rollout of its updated voter registration system, known as TEAM, citing technical failures that officials say disrupted registration processing and threatened preparations for the November election.
What officials are asking and why it matters
A letter outlining their complaints was sent to Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson by four associations representing various county election officials. The letter lays out operational failures tied to the TEAM rollout and calls for immediate state action to prevent further disruptions before early voting and election canvass periods.
The problems reported by county election officials include issues with processing voter registration applications and inaccurate voter lists due to the TEAM system overhaul initiated in July. The issues have resulted in a backlog of tens of thousands of voter registration applications, although this backlog has recently been cleared. Election officials stated that the TEAM system is inconsistent, sometimes not saving registration information, and overriding voters’ new addresses with previous ones.
Risks to upcoming elections
The problems with TEAM also affect preparations for an upcoming constitutional amendment election scheduled for November 4. The letter emphasizes that the current state of the TEAM rollout poses risks to election integrity and voter identification if problems recur during critical pre-election windows.
Specific requests from county officials
Election officials are asking for a clear timeline for fixing TEAM bugs and publishing weekly updates on resolved and ongoing issues. They also called for the establishment of a dedicated incident response team for quick fixes during early voting and canvassing. County officials said they need rapid technical support and clearer communication from the state while elections are underway.
State response and accountability
Secretary Nelson acknowledged technical challenges with the rollout, which involved the migration of over 20 million records and unexpected complications from a vendor’s financial issues. At the same time, six Democratic state representatives urged the Secretary of State’s Office to take responsibility for ensuring the functionality of the TEAM system and adequate training for county officials to reduce the risk of further processing errors.
Local impact: Bexar County response
Bexar County, facing a backlog of voter registrations, has processed approximately 72,000 applications in a short period with the help of temporary staff. The backlog arose after the vendor previously managing voter registrations went out of business, leading to a transition to the TEAM system. Bexar County elections conducted processing from October 1 to October 13, hiring over 80 temporary election clerks to meet demands.
Early voting for the November election is set to begin on October 20, leaving a narrow window for further fixes, training and verification before ballots are cast during early voting and after Election Day.
What county officials want the state to publish
- A clear timeline for fixing TEAM bugs.
- Weekly updates on resolved and ongoing issues.
- A dedicated incident response team available during early voting and canvassing.
- Additional training resources for county election staff.
Background and technical context
The TEAM rollout began with an overhaul that started in July. The migration effort moved more than 20 million voter records from the previous vendor system into TEAM. That migration was complicated by the prior vendor going out of business, which triggered a rapid transition. County officials say the migration and subsequent software behavior produced inconsistent application processing, inaccurate voter lists and address override problems.
Local elections offices described short-term mitigation steps, such as hiring temporary clerks and running concentrated processing sessions, which helped clear the backlog of applications in some counties. Officials, however, stress that these emergency measures are stopgaps and that systemic fixes and support are required to prevent future issues.
| Key Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| System | TEAM (updated voter registration system) |
| Rollout initiation | July |
| Records migrated | Over 20 million records |
| Backlog | Tens of thousands of voter registration applications (recently cleared) |
| Bexar County processing | Approximately 72,000 applications processed with temporary staff |
| Bexar County processing dates | October 1 to October 13 |
| Temporary staff hired in Bexar | Over 80 temporary election clerks |
| Early voting begins | October 20 |
| Constitutional amendment election | November 4 |
Timeline
| Date/Time | Event | Status/Source |
|---|---|---|
| July | TEAM system overhaul initiated | State rollout |
| Prior to October | Vendor previously managing voter registrations went out of business | Transition to TEAM |
| Migration period | Migration of over 20 million records | Secretary of State acknowledgment |
| Late summer/early fall | Backlog of tens of thousands of voter registration applications developed | County reports (recently cleared) |
| October 1 to October 13 | Bexar County processing of registrations with temporary staff | Approximately 72,000 processed; over 80 temporary clerks |
| October 20 | Early voting for the November election begins | State election calendar |
| November 4 | Constitutional amendment election scheduled | State election calendar |
Simple visual statistics
FAQ
What are county election officials requesting regarding the TEAM system?
Election officials in Texas are requesting the state to pause the rollout of its updated voter registration system, known as TEAM.
Who sent the complaints to the Secretary of State?
A letter outlining their complaints was sent to Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson by four associations representing various county election officials.
What problems have county election officials reported with TEAM?
The problems reported by county election officials include issues with processing voter registration applications and inaccurate voter lists due to the TEAM system overhaul initiated in July.
What happened to the backlog of registration applications?
The issues have resulted in a backlog of tens of thousands of voter registration applications, although this backlog has recently been cleared.
What specific system behaviors have been reported?
Election officials stated that the TEAM system is inconsistent, sometimes not saving registration information, and overriding voters’ new addresses with previous ones.
How does TEAM affect the upcoming election schedule?
The problems with TEAM also affect preparations for an upcoming constitutional amendment election scheduled for November 4.
What are county officials asking the state to provide?
Election officials are asking for a clear timeline for fixing TEAM bugs and publishing weekly updates on resolved and ongoing issues.
What operational support have officials requested for election periods?
They also called for the establishment of a dedicated incident response team for quick fixes during early voting and canvassing.
Who urged the Secretary of State’s Office to take responsibility?
Six Democratic state representatives urged the Secretary of State’s Office to take responsibility for ensuring the functionality of the TEAM system and adequate training for county officials.
What did Secretary Nelson acknowledge about the rollout?
Secretary Nelson acknowledged technical challenges with the rollout, which involved the migration of over 20 million records and unexpected complications from a vendor’s financial issues.
How did Bexar County respond to the backlog?
Bexar County, facing a backlog of voter registrations, has processed approximately 72,000 applications in a short period with the help of temporary staff.
Why did the backlog arise?
The backlog arose after the vendor previously managing voter registrations went out of business, leading to a transition to the TEAM system.
When did Bexar County conduct processing and how many temporary clerks were hired?
Bexar County elections conducted processing from October 1 to October 13, hiring over 80 temporary election clerks to meet demands.
When does early voting begin?
Early voting for the November election is set to begin on October 20.
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Additional Resources
- KENS5 News: Bexar County Voter Registration Backlog
- Wikipedia: 2023 Texas Elections
- San Antonio Current: TEAM Voter Registration System Concerns
- Google Search: Bexar County Election Backlog 2023
- KSAT News: Bexar County Voter Registration Backlog Update
- Google Scholar: Texas Voter Registration System
- News 4 San Antonio: Voter Applications Backlog Cleared
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Texas Elections 2023
- Houston Chronicle: Bexar County Voter Registration Issues Resolved
- Google News: Bexar County TEAM System
Author: STAFF HERE SAN ANTONIO WRITER
The SAN ANTONIO STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERESanAntonio.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in San Antonio, Bexar County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Fiesta San Antonio, San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, and Dia de los Muertos. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County, plus leading businesses in retail, insurance, and energy that power the local economy such as H-E-B, USAA, and Valero Energy. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREAustinTX.com, HERECollegeStation.com, HEREDallas.com, and HEREHouston.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Texas's dynamic landscape.
