Court Rulings Throw Dallas County Vote Tally Into Uncertainty

The Texas Supreme Court temporarily blocked a lower court's decision to keep polling places open longer, raising concerns about voter disenfranchisement.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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The process of tallying primary ballots in Texas' second-most-populous county was thrown into uncertainty on Tuesday evening when the State Supreme Court temporarily blocked an earlier court ruling allowing voters more time to cast ballots. Earlier in the day, a district judge had ordered Dallas County to keep its polling places open to Democrats for an additional two hours, until 9 p.m. local time, over concerns that a rule change about where to vote had caused 'mass confusion' among voters weighing in on consequential House and Senate contests.

Why it matters

The court rulings have created uncertainty around the vote tally in a key county in Texas, which could impact the outcomes of important Democratic and Republican primary races for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The situation highlights ongoing concerns about voter access and potential disenfranchisement, especially in the wake of recent changes to voting rules.

The details

The Texas Supreme Court ruled that 'votes cast by voters who were not in line to vote at 7 p.m. should be separated' from the official tally, meaning those ballots would not be counted. This came after a district judge had ordered Dallas County to keep polling places open for an additional two hours due to 'mass confusion' among voters over a recent rule change about where they could cast their ballots. The challenge to the lower court's ruling came from the office of Ken Paxton, the state attorney general who is running against Senator John Cornyn in a bitter Republican primary.

  • Earlier in the day, a district judge had ordered Dallas County to keep its polling places open to Democrats for an additional two hours, until 9 p.m. local time.
  • The Texas Supreme Court ruled just before 8:30 p.m. local time that 'votes cast by voters who were not in line to vote at 7 p.m. should be separated.'

The players

Ken Paxton

The hard-line state attorney general of Texas who is running against Senator John Cornyn in a bitter Republican primary.

Jasmine Crockett

A U.S. Representative battling James Talarico, a state representative, in the Democratic primary for Senator John Cornyn's seat.

James Talarico

A state representative battling U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary for Senator John Cornyn's seat.

John Cornyn

The incumbent Republican U.S. Senator who was forced into a runoff against Ken Paxton.

Kardal Coleman

The local Democratic Party chair who had filed the lawsuit that led to the district judge's order to keep polling places open longer.

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What they’re saying

“We have a duty to make sure the law is followed in Texas.”

— Brent Webster, First Assistant Attorney General to Ken Paxton

“I can tell you now that people have been disenfranchised.”

— Jasmine Crockett, U.S. Representative

“Unfortunately, this is what Republicans like to do, and so they specifically targeted Dallas County, and I think we all know why.”

— Jasmine Crockett, U.S. Representative

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow the votes cast after 7 p.m. to be counted.

The takeaway

The court rulings have created significant uncertainty around the vote tally in Dallas County, a key battleground in Texas, raising concerns about potential voter disenfranchisement and the integrity of the electoral process. The situation underscores the ongoing partisan battles over voting rules and access, which could have major implications for the outcome of important primary races.