AUSTIN, Texas — Elections committee chair Rep. Reggie Smith wants to streamline how the state stores voter data.

What You Need To Know

  • Rep. Reggie Smith wants to streamline how Texas stores voter data

  • It’s an ongoing effort as Texas works to improve its voter information database

  • Thirty-three counties use a third-party vendor for management of their voter rolls, and a majority of those counties use one specific vendor: Votec. But in April, the company implemented a 35% surcharge to stay afloat

  • The state is creating a new voter information program expected to be ready in the spring of 2025. The state wants to provide the service at the lowest cost possible

“It would be nice to mandate membership,” Smith said. 

It’s an ongoing effort as Texas works to improve its voter information database.

“We had a good system, and it met legal requirements, but because of capacity issues and I think features, a lot of our counties opted to use a third-party vendor,” said Christina Adkins, elections division director in the Texas Secretary of State’s Office.

Thirty-three counties use a third-party vendor for management of their voter rolls and send a daily file to the secretary of state with updates to their list. A majority of those counties use one specific vendor: Votec. But in April, the company implemented a 35% surcharge to stay afloat.

“We did start hearing from counties, more counties that wanted to come into the state system, and we have currently been onboarding some additional counties where they’re leaving their third-party vendor and coming directly to the state,” said Adkins.

Counties still using a vendor are required to do a full database sync with the state office at least once a month. 

“But there’s always gonna be discrepancies in data when you’re operating two different systems,” said Adkins.

The state is creating a new voter information program expected to be ready in the spring of 2025. The state wants to provide the service at the lowest cost possible.

“The system that we’re building now, in understanding that it has more requirements than it needs to and in just utilizing modern technology with a really, really high priority on ensuring security of the system, is going to be a lot more comprehensive than our current system,” said Adkins.

Experts say the confidence in voter rolls is important for voter turnout.

“List maintenance is obviously critically important, not only for people who want to protect the ballot from fraudulent voting, but also to assure that people who are eligible and legitimate voters can vote,” said Bob Stein, a Rice University professor of political sciences.

Counties won’t have to use the new system unless lawmakers pass legislation mandating it during the next legislative session, which will start in January.