Voter frustration surged in Dallas County during the March 3 primaries after local party decisions ended countywide vote centers, forcing precinct-specific voting on Election Day and causing widespread confusion.
Democrats challenged the change legally, securing a brief court-ordered extension of their polling hours from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., but the Texas Supreme Court stayed the order late Tuesday, requiring post-7 p.m. ballots (from those not already in line) to be provisional. Both parties have raised concerns about voter access, provisional ballot processing, and election integrity amid the ongoing fallout.
Crockett Cries GOP ‘Cheating’ in Her Own Dem Primary Loss; Commentators Slam Dem-Only Voting Extension
Texans voted in primaries on March 3, sending Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton to the Republican runoff for Senate, as The Dallas Express reported. Meanwhile, they shot down U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett – of South Dallas – in favor of state Rep. James Talarico for the Democratic Senate nomination.
Before Crockett left her own watch party, she accused Republicans of election meddling, as The Dallas Express reported. “Unfortunately, this is what Republicans like to do,” Crockett told supporters at the time, per The New York Post.
“So long as they know that they can win, even if it means cheating, then they will continue to do it,” she said.
Democrat Rep Jasmine Crockett who previously said, along with all Democrats, that voter fraud is a conspiracy theory now claims Democrats are cheating in her primary election
You can’t make this up….
“This was always the plan — We cannot allow this type of behavior to be… pic.twitter.com/lnLq6kxKwK
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) March 4, 2026
Meanwhile, former election lawyer for President Donald Trump, Sidney Powell, expressed concern that Democrats would have more time than Republicans to vote. “You can’t make it up,” Powell wrote on X. “Democrat County ‘judge’ extends voting hours in Dallas – ONLY for DEMOCRATS… There was ‘some confusion’ about which precinct to vote in – which happened to me but I had plenty of time to vote.”
You can’t make it up‼️ Democrat County “judge” extends voting hours in Dallas—ONLY for DEMOCRATS‼️ There was “some confusion” about which precinct to vote in—which happened to me but I had plenty of time to vote. @DallasGOP
FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth https://t.co/rXqv4FW4OJ— Sidney Powell 🇺🇸 Attorney, Author, Gladiator (@SidneyPowell1) March 4, 2026
DFW-based media influencer Tim Young also questioned why Democrats were allowed to vote for longer than Republicans.
Voting for Democrats is open in Dallas until 9pm…
But for Republicans it's 7pm???
It doesn't take a deep thinker to know that's illegal AF.pic.twitter.com/dOl4RxbNzN
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) March 4, 2026
The Dallas Express CEO, Chris Putnam, replied, pointing out the Dallas County Democratic Party’s role in the ordeal. “They somehow managed to blame Republicans in a county that literally doesn’t have a single Republican elected official in county leadership and in an election where each party runs their own primary,” Putnam remarked.
Precinct Rules Return → Dems Seek Extra Hours… Paxton Appeals, SCOTX Issues Stay & Ballot Separation
The Dallas County Republican Party pushed for a return to precinct-only voting on Election Day—opting out of the joint countywide system used in recent years.
As The Dallas Express reported, Dallas County Elections officials issued warnings about the new precinct-based procedures, and the Dallas GOP publicly reminded voters of the change on the morning of March 3.
However, on election night, workers had to redirect dozens of voters to different polling places, according to WFAA. So the Dallas County Democratic Party went to court, claiming this warranted an extension of Democratic voting hours from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
“This is voter suppression by design,” said DCDP Chair Kardal Coleman at the time. “When the countywide voting system people have used for over a decade is discarded, it forces Texans to hunt for new locations and navigate unnecessary barriers.”
Dallas County Democratic Party obtained an order to extend polling hours for the March 3 primary election. Polls will now remain open until 9 p.m. at all Dallas County voting locations. Following a challenging day of well documented voting access issues, DCDP was compelled to… pic.twitter.com/GPlqutxtrD
— Dallas Democrats (@dallasdemocrats) March 4, 2026
A Dallas County district court judge granted the complaint from Coleman, ordering polls for the party’s primary to remain open until 9 p.m.
“The Democratic Party has gone behind the Election Department’s back and went straight to a judge and has an injunction to keep the polls open for another two hours,” Dallas GOP officials wrote in a release at the time.
“The Elections Department is very upset because they have no jurisdiction over the judge’s order… they have to comply… However, the Republican Party will shut their voting down on time at 7 p.m,” the release continued.
While Paxton was hosting his watch party in Dallas, he appealed the decision to the Texas Supreme Court – arguing the district court did not give him the required notice, according to The Hill.
The Texas Supreme Court ultimately ruled in Paxton’s favor, halting the extended voting hours.
However, Democratic voters had still been voting past 7 p.m., so the court said these ballots should be separated while it weighs the merits of the case.
Late Ballots Won’t Flip It: Crockett Concedes; Allen West: Republicans Mastered Precinct Voting, Dems Faced Basic Civics Challenge
Crockett conceded the race to Talarico, who holds a sizable lead, so it is unlikely these ballots would change the results.
Dallas County GOP Chairman Allen West issued a statement on March 4:
“Yesterday Republican voters in Dallas County evidenced their ability to adapt and overcome proving that precinct level voting can be accomplished on primary Election Day,” West said. “It’s apparent that Democrats struggled with grasping basic civics and their usual attempt at lawfare backfired.”
