Most Texas primary polling places had closed, but Dallas County kept Democratic polling locations open an extra hour after scheduled closing. Election officials made the extension after confusion arose when the county ran Republican and Democratic primaries on separate systems.
Under the new setup, Republican voters were required to go to specific precinct polling locations, a change from the usual practice of operating both parties’ primaries together at the same sites. That distinction led poll workers and voters to misunderstand where Democrats could vote. Many Democratic voters who expected to vote at a convenient county site were told they needed to go to a designated precinct instead, preventing or delaying hundreds from casting ballots.
County Democrats asked a judge to intervene. A local court ordered county officials to keep Democratic polls open for one additional hour so those who had been diverted by the precinct confusion could return and vote. State election law still protects anyone already in line when polls close — they are allowed to vote — but the judge’s order specifically extended access for voters affected by the Dallas County mix-up.
The extra hour could slow final tallies and media calls on the Democratic contest because Dallas County is large and outstanding ballots there could influence margins. The main Democratic race noted was between Dallas-area Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and Austin-area state lawmaker James Talarico; both campaigns monitored regional returns and turnout. On the Republican side, the U.S. Senate primary included John Cornyn, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Congressman Wesley Hunt.
Under Texas rules a candidate must win more than 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff; Republicans anticipated a likely runoff, while Democrats hoped to decide their nominee outright. For voters statewide: if you are in line when polls close, you may vote. In Dallas County specifically, the judge’s instruction gave affected Democratic voters an extra hour to return and have their ballots accepted.