Texas Scorecard by Michael Wilson January 2, 2026
Texas election officials have confirmed that Harris County voter registrations included post office box addresses, prompting the state to order corrective action to bring the rolls into compliance with election law.The Office of the Texas Secretary of State has informed Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar Annette Ramirez that a review of voter records validated an administrative complaint filed by State Sen. Paul Bettencourt. The complaint alleged that voters were registered using private P.O. box-style mailboxes rather than physical residence addresses, which are required under Texas law.
The finding follows a November notice from Secretary of State Jane Nelson informing the county that her office had received the complaint and would begin an investigation. At the time, Nelson warned that the state could pursue administrative oversight if the review revealed a pattern of problems in how Harris County maintains its voter rolls.
Bettencourt, a former Harris County voter registrar, authored the statutes at issue. A 2021 law prohibits the use of commercial mailbox addresses for voter registration, while a 2023 measure allows the state to step in when counties fail to correct recurring election administration issues. Under state law, Bettencourt is authorized to file administrative complaints of this nature.
“No one lives in a P.O. Box, and Texans cannot legally register to vote from one,” Bettencourt said in a statement after the findings were confirmed. “It’s the law, and it’s been the law for four years in statute.”
More:
https://texasscorecard.com/local/harris-county-directed-to-fix-voter-rolls-after-state-confirms-po-box-registrations/
