Weslaco, TX (KRGV) — Election administrators in Cameron and Hidalgo counties say some voters in the Rio Grande Valley may need to cast provisional ballots in the November election while officials review questions about registration or identification.

A provisional ballot lets someone vote when there are questions about voter registration status. Election officials review those ballots before deciding if the vote can count.

Tens of thousands of people have already voted early in the November 2026 midterms, and thousands more are expected over the next several days.

Election officials say there are several reasons why voters would need to cast provisional ballots.

“There are a couple of categories: individuals that don't have proper identification; if somebody believes they are registered but we don't have them in the rolls; if they applied for a ballot by mail but don't have it to surrender at the polling place; or if they've already returned a ballot by mail,” Cameron County Elections Administrator Remi Garza said.

“Also, the voter's identification is in question, the voter's registration or eligibility is questioned,” Hidalgo County Elections Administrator Hilda Salinas said.

Channel 5 News reached out to all four Valley counties and learned found voters cast nearly 250 provisional ballots in the March 2026 primary, and election officials denied around half.

After someone casts a provisional ballot, election officials review the voter's information before deciding whether the vote can count.

That process includes election officials checking whether a voter is registered in the county where the voter cast the ballot and verifying the voter's registration status.

“Essentially, it's a way for the ballot to be preserved, give us time to do research, and then make our findings for the early ballot board,” Garza said.

With high voter turnout this election season, election officials expect to see more provisional ballots.

“This election being a big election, we're getting a lot of provisional ballots, and there's really kind of a low percentage of the ones that are going to be rejected,” Garza said.

Voters typically learn the final status of their provisional ballot about two weeks after the election.

Early voting ends on Oct. 30. Election Day is Nov. 3.

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