If you’re currently on the “suspense list” here’s what you can do ahead of Election Day.
AUSTIN, Texas — As Texas sees record early voting numbers, we now have a better idea of how many voters in Central Texas have had their status suspended.
Travis County leaders say the current number of suspended voters is 137,980, which is about 600 more listed by the Texas Secretary of State’s office. Officials say the number can change from day to day.
Meanwhile, Williamson County reportedly has more than 47,000 suspended voters, while Hays County reportedly sits at more than 21,000 suspended voters. Only Bexar, Dallas, Harris and Tarrant counties had more suspended voters than Travis.
What is the voter suspense list?
Being on the “suspense list” doesn’t mean you can’t vote. It usually means your county doesn’t know your address or thinks that you moved, often because your voter registration card was returned as “undeliverable.”
You will only be removed from voter rolls in Texas if you were on the suspense list for two federal election cycles after you were placed on it.
What should you do if you are on the voter suspense list?
First, make sure your address is updated, which is the most likely cause of your vote being suspended. You can visit a polling station in your county to check.
If you’re on the suspense list, you can fill out a statement of residence form to update your voter registration and remove yourself from the suspense list. However, if you moved to a separate county, you have to submit a provisional ballot or vote in your previous county.
Provisional ballots are used to record votes when there are questions about a voter’s eligibility that need to be resolved before a vote can be counted. They’re available during early voting and on Election Day.
To have your provisional ballot counted in Texas, you must visit the county’s registrar’s office within six days of the election to show an acceptable form of ID. Otherwise, you would have to submit a reasonable impediment declaration which declares why you couldn’t get a photo ID to vote.
After that, you’ll get a notice within 30 days of the election to tell you if your ballot was counted or not.
