Confusion over new voting rules in Texas’s Dallas and Williamson counties caused Democratic voters to be turned away from polling sites Tuesday as the state’s primary election unfolded, forcing a judge to extend poll hours for the Democratic primary.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said he ordered Democratic polling places there to remain open two hours later, until 9 p.m. local time. Republican polling places were not affected and would close at 7 p.m.
Jenkins, a Democrat and the county’s chief executive, blamed the confusion on Republicans, who he said chose months ago to hold separate primaries in Dallas County and in Williamson County, in Central Texas. Doing so required voters to cast their ballot at an assigned precinct, instead of any poll site — forcing many residents to scramble to find their voting site.
Jenkins said the county spent $1 million to raise awareness among voters and “address the confusion.”
“The Republican Party decided to throw a monkey wrench into the election,” Jenkins said.
In Williamson County, the elections department made no mention of extended voting hours in a Facebook post shortly after 7 p.m. local time, when voting was set to end. An automated message on the election department’s phone line also said the polls were closed.
Citing “operational requirements by the Republican Party,” the Williamson County Elections Department wrote on social media that GOP primary results may not be available until Wednesday, while Democratic results are expected to be available later Tuesday.
Democrats in Texas are locked in heated primary races, including a Senate contest between state Rep. James Talarico and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who represents Dallas.
According to Texas procedure, if a county’s primary is not held jointly — meaning, if Republicans and Democrats do not agree to hold the election together — then the county’s residents are required to vote in their assigned precincts. Last year, Republicans in Dallas County said they would not hold their primary jointly with Democrats. But many voters, accustomed to joint primaries, assumed they could vote at alternate voting sites and were turned away.
Crockett, who is counting on high turnout in Dallas, urged voters to stand in line as long as possible and said she’d join them if necessary.
“We should all be standing together, Democrats, Republicans, and we should all be raising hell,” she said at a Dallas news conference alongside former congressman Colin Allred shortly after judge ordered the polls to stay open late. “We cannot allow this type of behavior to be rewarded, because so long as they know they can win, even if it means cheating, they will continue to do it,” Crockett said.
Brenda Allen, the executive director of the Dallas County Democrats, told The Washington Post in a call Tuesday that the county party, alongside voting rights advocates, predicted that the precinct rule would cause confusion. She noted that precinct maps changed earlier this year because of redistricting in the state, so even people who may have been aware of the requirement may have not known what their proper polling spot was.
“Everybody was aware that this would happen just because of the size of our county,” she said. “You have significant changes just from people who just voted in November, so their polling locations may have changed from November. And usually a lot of people can vote countywide, and that’s not the case today.”
Additionally, Allen noted, the secretary of state’s website was not updated with information reflecting this Tuesday.
Talarico said on X that he is “deeply concerned” over reports that voters were turned away.
“We will continue to evaluate the situation,” his campaign said.
Kardal Coleman, chair of the Dallas County Democratic Party, said voters should not be confused “about what’s happening today.”
“These are signs of voter suppression,” Coleman said. “And it’s been intentional, so we’re fighting. We’re fighting back, we’re standing up, and we’re making sure that you have the opportunity to vote.”
Spokespeople for the Dallas County Republican Party did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Hannah Knowles contributed reporting.
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