# Texas Acknowledges Failures in State Voter Registration System State officials plan an independent audit and working groups to address ongoing registration software issues. - **Source:** [Votebeat](https://www.votebeat.org) - **Published:** 2026-11-06 - **Topic:** [politics](https://brifing.si/c/politics) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/d0e09cd2-091c-45f7-a064-3d38de1d6a80 ## System Performance Concerns Texas officials have officially acknowledged that the upgraded voter registration management system, known as TEAM, has failed to meet performance expectations. Since its rollout in the summer of 2025, county election administrators have reported significant operational difficulties. These persistent technical issues have created direct risks to the state's ability to manage elections efficiently. ## Independent Audit Planned The state has initiated a request for proposals to conduct an independent audit of the TEAM platform. This evaluation will assess the system's overall functionality, the completeness of delivered modules, and its long-term viability. The audit process is scheduled to begin in December, aiming to provide actionable results for the 2027 legislative session. ## Collaborative Working Groups To address user concerns, the Secretary of State is establishing working groups starting in December and January. These groups will include county election administrators, district clerks, and tax assessor-collectors. By involving these stakeholders, the state hopes to define future priorities and ensure that system enhancements align with the practical needs of election workers. ## Operational Hurdles Reported County officials have struggled with the system's slow speed and unexpected crashes during critical tasks. Specific complaints include the inability to sort records by submission date and the requirement to process mail-in ballot records individually rather than in batches. These inefficiencies forced administrators to rely on manual workarounds to manage voter registration records. ## New Ticketing System In response to long-standing requests from county officials, the state has introduced a new ticketing system. This tool allows local administrators to track the progress of reported issues directly. This development aims to improve communication between the state and counties, providing a more transparent process for resolving technical bugs within the TEAM software. ## Vendor Involvement Required Civix, the Louisiana-based company responsible for designing and developing the TEAM system, will participate in the upcoming improvement efforts. Their involvement is intended to help address the technical shortcomings identified by users. State officials emphasized that this collaboration is essential for delivering a system that effectively supports the complex demands of election administration. ## Context of Recent Elections The announcement follows a major midterm election in Texas where at least 9 million people cast their votes. Despite the technical challenges posed by the TEAM system, county administrators successfully managed the election process. State officials noted that the absence of a major election in the coming year provides a window for system improvements. ## Future System Outlook Secretary of State Robert Howden stated that the state learned a great deal from recent statewide elections. While the system's launch was complicated by midcycle redistricting, officials are now focused on long-term salvageability. The success of these reforms will depend on whether the state can effectively integrate feedback from local election staff. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.votebeat.org/texas/2026/11/06/team-voter-registration-system-working-groups-audit/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._