The Texas Supreme Court ordered that certain primary election votes cast in Dallas County be separated Tuesday night, The Texas Tribune reported.
Votes cast by residents who were not in line by the original voting deadline time of 7 p.m. should be separated, according to the order.
The directive was in opposition of a U.S. District Court judge’s order allowing the extension of hours at polling sites in Dallas, Williamson and El Paso Counties.
The Context
Confusion surrounding the polling locations, coupled with extended hours at some voting locations, created uncertainty about the fate of votes cast by those after the original deadline.
Democratic U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett told supporters at her election watch party that she did not plan on returning Tuesday night, as she believed results wouldn’t be in until Wednesday at least, according to a post on X from Daniella Diaz, reporter for NOTUS.
What To Know
An order to keep the polling sites open was met with another order from the state Supreme Court to have all votes cast by those who joined the line after 7 p.m. be separated.
The confusion stemmed from a major change in how voting is being conducted for this primary: Instead of allowing residents to cast a ballot at any voting center in the county—a system both counties have used since 2019—voters were required to report to their assigned precinct.
Election officials said many residents arrived at the polling places they typically use, only to learn those sites were no longer options.
The initial order was granted after Dallas County Democratic Party Chair Kardal Coleman filed an emergency petition.
What People Are Saying
Crockett, to supporters at her watch party, according to the post on X from Diaz: “So knowing that Dallas County is a big dump of votes, we, in my opinion, will not know the election results overall tonight. We need to see the Dallas County votes to see where they are. I mean, if the early vote comes in, which we may have the early votes soon, if it comes in and I’m losing Dallas County, then we know kind of where this thing is going. … So that’s my news, is that we’re not going to have election results tonight, in my opinion, based upon what specifically is taking place in Dallas County. Unfortunately, this is what Republicans like to do. So they specifically targeted Dallas County, and I think we all know why. So I want you to enjoy yourselves. But I won’t be back tonight because I have no idea of when we’re going to get results, and I fully anticipate it won’t be until tomorrow.”
What Happens Next
It remains unknown if the ballots cast in Dallas County by voters who joined the line after 7 p.m. local time will be counted.
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