Nearly 300,000 Texans in the 2018 midterms were hindered by problems at the polls in 2018, according to a statistical analysis released Tuesday by an advocacy group.
Because of voting machine malfunctions, lack of easy access to polling locations at Texas universities, and the state’s application of some voter registration laws — among other problems — at least 277,000 voters faced avoidable setbacks and problems, according to the study conducted by the Texas Civil Rights Project.
The number of voters affected by those issues is greater than the margin of votes in the 2018 U.S. Senate race between U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke, the report says. The advocacy group doesn’t suggest that enough votes were lost to change the results in the Senate race, but it cites the contest as an example of the potential impact of 277,000 votes.