Texas Supreme Court Orders Separation of Late Votes in Dallas County, Extends Hours Elsewhere

The Texas Supreme Court late Tuesday ordered Dallas County to separate any votes cast by voters who were not in line to vote by 7 p.m., temporarily blocking a district court judge’s order to extend voting hours until 9 p.m. The ruling came after a challenge from the Texas Attorney General’s office, which argued the lower court did not properly notify them of the decision.

The temporary order creates uncertainty regarding the inclusion of votes cast after 7 p.m. In the final tally. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins acknowledged the decision on social media, stating the county would release results already counted, signaling that polls had effectively closed. “If you have been in line since before 7pm you can still vote,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, a court in Williamson County extended voting at two locations until 10 p.m., according to a county news release. The extension in Dallas County followed reports of voters being turned away at the polls due to changes in voting location rules.

Voting Changes and Legal Challenges

The extension in Dallas County came after Texas Senate Democratic candidates U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico requested extended voting hours in Dallas and Williamson counties. This year, Republican officials in both counties eliminated centralized voting locations, a practice that had become common.

voters were required to cast ballots at their assigned neighborhood polling places, rather than centralized sites used in previous elections. “Both Dallas and Williamson county voters have grown accustomed to countywide voting, including on election day,” Crockett said in a statement. “This effort to suppress the vote, to confuse and inconvenience voters is having its intended effect as people are being turned away from the polls.”

Crockett added that they were monitoring the situation and working with the local county party to explore solutions, including extending voting hours. The Texas Democratic Party urged voters in those counties to confirm their assigned polling location before heading to the polls, noting that hundreds of voters had been turned away due to the changes.

Talarico, a primary rival of Crockett, expressed deep concern over the reports and also called for an extension of voting hours to ensure all Texans’ voices were heard.

Attorney General Paxton’s Involvement

Attorney General Ken Paxton has been actively involved in election-related legal challenges. In a separate case, Paxton challenged a voting extension in Dallas County, arguing the trial court did not provide the required notice to his office Bloomberg Law. The Texas Supreme Court temporarily halted the extension, ordering that votes cast by those not in line by 7 p.m. Be separated.

Paxton has also taken action regarding a quo warranto petition filed by Governor Greg Abbott against Representative Gene Wu, alleging Wu abandoned his legislative duties Texas Attorney General’s Office.

Ken Paxton is currently serving as the 51st Attorney General of Texas, having been first elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018 and 2022 Texas Attorney General’s Office.