Texas Local Election Officials Await New Secretary of State as Midterm Countdown Intensifies

Austin, Texas — Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson’s unexpected resignation has left local election officials across the state wondering how the leadership transition will affect preparations for the November midterm election. Nelson, who served as the state’s chief election official for more than three years, announced she will step down effective July 17.

Frisco, located approximately 30 miles north of downtown Dallas in Collin County, is home to an estimated 228,000 residents and has been one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. The city is a regional employment hub, hosting the PGA of America headquarters, T-Mobile’s Southwest operations center, and Toyota Stadium.

Gov. Greg Abbott is required by law to appoint a successor “without delay,” but his office has not named a replacement. Kaufman County elections administrator Tandi Smith captured the mood of many county officials: “It’s the unknown, the uncertainty that is scary. Are we going to continue to receive guidance? Are we going to be ensured that we’ll be prepared for any coming changes? We just don’t know.”

Nelson’s departure comes at one of the busiest points on the election calendar. Officials in counties across Texas are now recruiting poll workers, confirming polling locations, and processing new voter registrations as they prepare for one of the most closely watched midterm cycles in recent history. The race for U.S. Senate — between Attorney General Ken Paxton and State Rep. James Talarico — is among the most contested statewide contests in years.

Some voting-rights advocates fear the incoming appointee could direct local officials to change election procedures, creating confusion for voters. Emily Eby French, policy director at Common Cause Texas, warned that “a laundry list of demands that election administrators can’t meet” could “throw our elections into disarray.” Others, including American University assistant professor Joshua Ferrer, believe the transition will have little impact because election administration is handled locally by Texas’s 254 counties.

Nelson’s tenure included overseeing millions in election grants to counties and managing a voter registration system overhaul that drew mixed reviews from local administrators. She drew criticism for sharing the state’s full voter roll with the U.S. Department of Justice and for using the federal SAVE database to flag potential noncitizen voters, moves that sparked lawsuits from voting-rights groups. Her office also fielded repeated complaints about the TEAM election-management system after its redesign last summer.

Abbott praised Nelson as “a true champion for the people of Texas” in a statement. Nelson served 30 years in the state Senate before her appointment and was the first secretary of state confirmed by the Senate since 2017. Her three immediate predecessors resigned without ever receiving full-Senate confirmation.

Source: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/06/08/texas-2026-midterm-new-secretary-of-state-election-officials/