1.2 million Texas voter registrations are in "suspense"

The Dallas Morning News reported last week that 1.2 million registered voters in Texas are on a “suspense” list. That’s a whole six percent of voters. And while that probably sounds alarming, I’m not here to make this into a big deal because it’s probably not. You can land on this list if a voter registration card or jury summons sent through mail is returned as undeliverable. It likely means you moved and the county doesn’t know where you are, and all you have to do is change your address with the secretary of state’s office. Or that the United States Postal Service has been so debased that it’s bad at delivering mail now and you never received it in the first place. Who can say!

(Shout-out to my mailman Lee, who is one of the best, though.)

The only thing I will flag here is that in Texas, we are given the LUXURIOUS option of updating our drivers license online and opting then to update our voter registration address. Thing is, that hasn’t worked for a handful of people I know. So don’t assume it worked.

Best thing to do if you have moved is to update your address here.

Even if you haven’t moved, it’s a good idea to make sure that your voter registration is active, which you can do here.

You’ll want to have all of this cleared up by the October 5 voter registration deadline.

Note: You can still vote if you’re in suspense, but only if you’re voting in the county where you were previously registered, and you have to complete a statement of residence at the polling location. Also, don’t trust anyone this election. Just make sure you’re registered properly, and help others do the same.

If you find yourself or someone you know in suspense and can’t figure out why, call your county’s voter registrar and stay on top of it.

More news you can use:

• The owner of White Oak Music Hall has been outed as a right-wing donor. And though you can try to defend the sad-sounding Ken Paxton rally there recently by saying they’ve also hosted Beto, etc., I think the better option would be to stop having your Democratic rallies there and maybe let the indie bands who frequent there know that there are other options in Houston.
• Chris Hollins called John Whitmire old to his face with a smile.
• Galveston County is trying to push through new district lines RIGHT NOW, after the primaries decided the winners. Dudes, this is so bad I don’t even know what to say. I hope it doesn’t work, but it very well might, and you know what happens in Texas doesn’t ever stay in Texas.
• Trump is going to headline a fundraiser somewhere in Houston on Aug. 27.

Some lege news to remind you that the dumb and evil things Republicans pass in the statehouse catches up to all of us eventually:

• Texas Maternal Mortality Committee’s Next Report Will Skip Post-’Roe’ Deaths. Lawmakers Suspect Political Influence.
• Texas Republicans’ idiotic $10 million Bitcoin reserve they created in the 2025 session is now worth $6.6 million, which reminded me of this New, Improved Infowars ad:

Three. Good. Things.

1. I’ve been sick with a cold for six days but it wasn’t COVID and I am not coughing as much today.
2. Before I got sick I started deep-cleaning the house, which is kind of a nice thing to do when you’re stuck inside during the depths of the worst of summer in Houston, and I found all of these beauty products and cute things I never use or wear because I’ve worked from home for so long that I’ve become a barnacle at my desk. Well, no more! I put on some of the cute fake tattoos I had at the back of a drawer and painted my nails a blue glitter and tried on some new eyeshadow colors AND contoured my face for absolutely no one. Maybe the dog noticed, I dunno. But why not, you know? Use the stuff you bought for yourself before it goes bad.
3. Trixie and Katya’s podcast, The Bald & The Beautiful, cracks me up every week. I watch the video version because I love to watch these two dum-dums slap each other and crack each other up.