Politics
Dallas County voter resolves registration issue after appearing on Texas suspense list
A Dallas County voter says poll workers at Addison Town Hall could not find his name, despite his valid driver’s license. Elections officials said he was on the state’s voter suspense list; his status cleared before he voted the next day at a different location.
A Dallas County voter who identified himself only as Mohammed said poll workers at Addison Town Hall could not find his name when he tried to vote during early voting, even after checking his valid Texas driver’s license and searching manually.
Mohammed said he has voted since 2018 and had changed his address and registered on time. Poll workers eventually directed him to another location to cast a limited ballot, he said, but he chose not to do so because he wanted to ensure his vote was counted.
A limited ballot is available to some voters who have moved to Texas from another county but have not updated their registration in time. It covers statewide contests and district races shared by the voter’s former and new counties.
Dallas County Elections told NBC 5 that Mohammed was on the state’s voter suspense list when he first tried to vote. The list includes registered voters whose addresses may need confirmation; being listed does not mean a registration has been canceled. Voters can still cast a ballot but may be asked to verify their residence.
Mohammed returned to vote the next day at Oak Lawn Public Library. He said his license scanned and he was able to cast his ballot without a problem. The county elections office said his status had cleared by then.
Nearly 1.8 million Texas voters were on the suspense list, according to state figures reported by The Dallas Morning News. Mohammed said he had not previously known he was listed.
He urged voters to start early, saying that doing so can leave time to address problems before Election Day. Texans can check registration information through the Texas Secretary of State or contact their county elections office.