Election Night Delays Raise Questions in Hidalgo, Starr Counties

County officials say they followed state law, but long lines and staffing challenges contributed to late results.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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Election results in Hidalgo County and Starr County, Texas were released hours later than in neighboring counties on election night. County officials say they were following state laws that prevent them from counting ballots until the last voter has cast their vote, and that long lines and staffing shortages at polling locations contributed to the delays.

Why it matters

The delayed results raised questions and frustrations among voters and candidates, highlighting the challenges counties face in efficiently administering elections. The issues also underscore the need to review election procedures and consider ways to make the process more efficient, such as by recruiting more poll workers.

The details

In Hidalgo County, officials said 9 of the county's 67 polling sites were closed due to a shortage of poll workers, increasing pressure on the remaining locations. Long lines at several polling places contributed to the delay, as state law prevents officials from counting ballots until the last voter has cast their vote. In Starr County, the delay was not in counting ballots but in uploading the results due to a software issue with the reporting system. Starr County also faced staffing challenges, with some polling locations operating with fewer workers than recommended.

  • Polls closed at 7 p.m. on election night.
  • It took nearly two hours before results began to be released in Hidalgo County.
  • Unofficial results in Starr County were not posted online until 8:55 a.m. the following morning.

The players

Richard Cortez

Hidalgo County Judge who said the delay was due to legal requirements and long lines at polling locations.

Armandina Martinez

Starr County Elections Administrator who said the delay was due to a software issue with the reporting system.

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What they’re saying

“When someone says hold us accountable, please understand that we have to follow a set of rules given to us and we were following those rules.”

— Richard Cortez, Hidalgo County Judge (ValleyCentral)

“To help us provide a more efficient way of voting and provide a more efficient way of getting volunteers if you put a lot of restrictions on the volunteers to do that work then it's going to be hard to recruit.”

— Richard Cortez, Hidalgo County Judge (ValleyCentral)

“The program that they use, which is Civix, was having some issues. Civix was taking a really long time. So this morning when I came in, they were finally there, and they didn't finish loading until like past one o'clock [Wednesday] morning.”

— Armandina Martinez, Starr County Elections Administrator (ValleyCentral)

What’s next

Runoff elections for counties with runoff races are scheduled for May 26, and county leaders say improvements may be needed to avoid similar delays in future elections.

The takeaway

The delayed election results in Hidalgo and Starr Counties highlight the ongoing challenges counties face in efficiently administering elections, including issues with long lines, staffing shortages, and technology problems. These problems underscore the need for state lawmakers to consider ways to make the election process more efficient and help counties recruit more poll workers.