Austin voter among 2.2 million on ‘suspense list’ shares how he fixed it

AUSTIN (KXAN) — When Nico Ramsey went to check his voter record last week, he said he surprisingly found himself among the 2.2 million Texans whose registration status is currently listed as “suspense.”

What this means, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s Office , is that their counties do not know their address or think they moved, which often happens because either a voter registration card or a jury summons sent in the mail is returned as undeliverable.

“I was confused when I saw ‘suspense’ on my status,” Ramsey said Tuesday. “One, it’s not that descriptive on what that means, and it’s kind of intimidating, in a way, to see. Will I still be able to vote? Did I miss out on something? And also knowing that any time I move, I’m always filling out that change of address, and that has always in the past sufficed for switching over my voter information.”

He said he has now submitted another change-of-address form to resolve this issue, though what’s strange is that the information listed on the state’s voting portal includes his current address and zip code. Plus, he voted in the most recent round of elections this spring with no issues. He also posted about his situation on Instagram so that his circle of friends and followers could check on the accuracy of their information.

“I believe my network felt the same amount of shock because they know my voting habits. I’m a very loud, active, proud voter,” Ramsey said. “However, what that did was it sparked someone to go look at their own voter status because if it can happen to me, an active voter, it could happen to someone who might vote not so often, and that’s actually an easier way to fall into a non-active status.”

How to check voter status

More than 12% of the state’s almost 18.3 million registered voters are currently part of that suspense list. People can review whether they’re part of it by entering their information into this state portal to check their voter registration status or by contacting their county’s voter registrar .

What to do if suspended

If they’re seeking to be removed from the suspense list, voters can update their address online by Oct. 7, which is the deadline to register to vote in time for the November general election.

To use that online service, people will need to share their current driver’s license or ID card, their Social Security number or their voter registration card’s voter unique identifier (VUID) number.

Will you be able to vote if you’re on voter suspense list?

According to the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, yes. Those with a suspense voter registration status can still vote in the upcoming presidential election, though it will require a few additional steps.

Voters will have to complete a Statement of Residence form either when they vote by mail or at their polling location prior to voting. If they moved to a new county, they’ll have to a complete a Limited Ballot application during early voting at the main early voting polling place.

A voter on suspense who moved within the same county, though, would be allowed to vote on Election Day by returning to the precinct in which they previously lived and completing a Statement of Residence at that time.

How this even happens

According to the Travis County Tax Office , it will send two letters through the U.S. Postal Service when it attempts to reach voters at risk of removal from the voter roll. Voters who fail to respond go to a “suspense” file. Voting will move them back to the active voters list. However, state law requires the county to remove the names of those either not voting or who fail to contact the county after four years in that suspense status.

“I think suspense can sound like a scary word, and it’s not. Actually, the suspense list is a way to protect voters because you may have accidentally ended up on this list even though you haven’t moved,” Alicia Pierce, a spokesperson for the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, said. “The suspense list guarantees that you’ll continue to be on the voter rolls for two election cycles, so that means probably about four years. Then, if for some reason you haven’t moved but you ended up on the list, the way to take yourself off the list is to just vote in one of the elections.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday the state had removed more than 463,000 people on the suspense list from the voter rolls in the last three years. This is part of the 1.1 million people taken off the voter rolls since 2021 , which Abbott said is part of efforts to clean up election data and ensure legal registration.

Ramsey urged people to take all of these steps now so that they can make sure their vote counts come November.

“The message I have for people is to don’t assume that your status might always be active,” he said. “Double check and check often.”

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