Texas Supreme Court blocks voting time extension in Dallas County

DALLAS - A judge in Dallas County extended voting hours to 9 p.m. for Democrats as some say voters in parts of Texas are being turned away from the polls. 

Just before that extension ended, the Texas Supreme Court temporarily blocked the order, saying voting should only happen "as permitted."

The issue came after voting locations in some counties, notably Dallas and Williamson, were restricted to specific precincts. According to voters and lawmakers in those areas, mixups on election sites have led to people showing up in places where they can't vote. 

Judge extends voting hours for Democrats

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins confirmed Tuesday evening that the Democratic polling locations in the county will be extended to 9 p.m.

Votes cast by Democrats from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. will be counted as provisional ballots, Jenkins said.

The hours were not extended for Republicans as they did not seek the same change, Jenkins said.

The order below, signed by Judge Staci Williams, is in response to a specific request by the Democratic Party of Dallas County, though the order itself does not make the distinction between parties. 

What they're saying:

In a later press conference, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Dallas) commented on the matter.

"I am here to say that it is wrong for it to be done to anyone, a Democrat or a Republican," Crockett said in her speech. "But the Republicans didn't even have enough sense or enough courage to go out there and try to get a court order on behalf of their constituents, the Republicans. So these hours are extended for the Democrats."

Emergency order blocked

The latest:

The Supreme Court of Texas issued a temporary stay against the emergency order just before the 9 p.m. extension expired. 

The order says votes cast by voters who were not in line by 7 p.m. should be "separated." 

What they're saying:

Crockett spoke at her watch party in Dallas after the court handed down their decision, saying "voters have been disenfranchised" by the confusion at the polls.

Texas non-joint primaries

The backstory:

The reported issues are happening in North Texas and Central Texas in counties where the elections were split on party lines. The non-joint primaries in some counties, including Dallas and Williamson, require people to cast their votes in locations specific to their parties. 

To know where to vote, voters have to check online to see designated voting locations in their home precincts. According to voters in the affected counties, these online designations have proven inaccurate in some cases.

Reports of voters being turned away

What we know:

Reports began coming in on Tuesday afternoon of voters showing up in the wrong locations and being sent away. Some reports were attributed to not being familiar with non-joint primaries, while other voters claimed the Secretary of State's election website gave them inaccurate locations. 

One North Texas viewer reported being directed to a supposed Democratic voting location in Irving which, upon arrival, turned out to be a Republican location. From there, they were directed to a location in Farmer's Branch, about 20 minutes away. 

In response to similar reports across the Dallas County and Williamson County areas, lawmakers weighed in to attempt to extend voting hours in problematic areas. 

Lawmakers ask for more voting time

What they're saying:

Crockett, who's currently in the primary for U.S. Senate, was first to release an official statement on the matter Tuesday afternoon, which reads in part:

"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. We are monitoring the situation and working with our local county party to explore all solutions, including an extension of election day voting hours.

Fellow candidate in the same race, state Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin) also released a statement later in the afternoon, which reads in part:

"We are deeply concerned about the reports of voters being turned away from the polls in Dallas and Williamson counties following the GOP's implementation of precinct-specific voting locations for election day. We will continue to evaluate the situation on the ground and are calling for an extension of voting hours to ensure all Texans' voices are heard in thief critical election."

The Dallas County Democratic Chair spoke with FOX 4 Tuesday, saying the change to elections was a decision by Republican leaders, which has led to frustrating results as voters have apparently been confused by the new rules. 

The Dallas County GOP declined to comment on the matter. 

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