Texas Supreme Court Blocks Extended Polling Hours Amid Primary Chaos

The Supreme Court of Texas stayed lower court rulings that had extended polling hours in Dallas and Williamson counties during the March 3, 2026, primary elections. This judicial intervention followed a request from Attorney General Ken Paxton to block orders from judges who had extended voting until 9 p.m. in Dallas and 10 p.m. in Williamson County to mitigate mass confusion. The high court ordered that any ballots cast by voters who were not in line by 7 p.m. be segregated and remained uncounted pending further ruling.

The disruption stemmed from a decision by the Dallas County Republican Party to abandon countywide voting centers in favor of precinct-based polling places. This shift forced Dallas Democrats to adopt the same system, contradicting the countywide model used during early voting. The transition led to reports that up to 90% of voters were rerouted, while the Dallas County elections website crashed. Dallas County Elections Administrator Paul Adams cited a compressed timeline and staffing strains as primary causes for the operational failures.

U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett and the Texas Democratic Party characterized the move as an intentional effort to disenfranchise and confuse voters. Conversely, Dallas County GOP Chair Allen West defended the separate primaries as a measure to reduce fraud and increase trust. In the aftermath, Dallas County reported 2,316 in-person provisional ballots as rejected or pending, while the Texas Democratic Party expressed intent to seek a legislative repeal of the 2006 joint primary law.