Legislative Proposal Overview

The Texas Legislature is currently considering Senate Bill 2382, which mandates that all 254 counties in Texas transition to a centralized state-run voter registration system known as Texas Election Administration Management (TEAM). This initiative aims to enhance oversight of voter registration practices, particularly in the wake of challenges posed by private software vendors.

Concerns Among Election Officials

Several county election officials express apprehensions regarding the history of technical difficulties associated with TEAM and its ability to effectively manage increased data. Notably, 32 counties, which hold approximately 75% of registered voters in Texas, currently rely on private vendors for their voter registration software.

Frank Phillips, the elections administrator for Denton County, highlighted the risks of consolidating voter data onto a single system, stating, “If something catastrophic were to happen — ransomware, software failure — at least 75% of the voters in Texas would be fine.” Conversely, he warned that if all counties utilized the state system, “the whole state is paralyzed. That’s dangerous.”

Support for the Centralized System

Proponents of Senate Bill 2382 argue that a unified approach would allow state officials to monitor the methods counties employ in removing ineligible voters from their databases. Christina Adkins, the state elections director, emphasized this during a recent House Elections Committee hearing, asserting that TEAM would help maintain voter list integrity.

Implementations and Financial Implications

After private vendor Votec imposed unexpected charges on counties last year, several counties opted to adopt the TEAM system. For instance, Travis and Hays Counties have transitioned to TEAM, attracted by the absence of fees that private vendors charge, although they have incurred costs for the storage of large image files—currently unsupported by TEAM.

Travis County’s tax assessor-collector, Celia Israel, remarked, “We haven’t had any issues. It’s been running smoothly,” following their migration to the state system.

Challenges Still Remain

Despite the advancements promised by TEAM, many election officials have raised ongoing concerns. For instance, capabilities such as generating detailed reports and handling image storage are not yet meeting user demands, leading some counties to continue utilizing private vendor systems. Challenges related to data synchronization and system reliability have also been noted.

In Brazos County, election administrator Trudy Hancock reported complications with overseas voter records, describing the experience as time-consuming due to errors requiring repeated data entry.

State’s Response and Future Developments

Alicia Pierce, spokesperson for the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, reassured that TEAM is secure and that efforts are underway to resolve technical issues with the system. She indicated that county officials are providing input on upcoming functionalities anticipated with revamps scheduled for launch this summer.

As the Senate discussions progress, Jennifer Doinoff, representing the Texas Association of Election Officials, advocated for a gradual implementation of the state system, considering the reservations some administrators hold about its current capabilities.