The Texas Supreme Court suspended a district court’s decision Tuesday to extend voting by two hours in Dallas County and ordered that any votes cast by people who got in line after 7 p.m. be separated. Voting was extended until 9 p.m. in Dallas County after the Dallas County Democratic Party as ked for an extension on Tuesday due to confusion over precinct-specific voting locations and issues with the county’s elections website. Kardal Coleman, Dallas County Democratic Party Chair, filed an emergency petition Tuesday, saying voter confusion was so severe that the county election department’s website crashed. Coleman asked that polls be kept open until 9 p.m. to allow voters time to get to their assigned precinct location. After the district court judge’s decision, voters were allowed to get in line until 9 p.m., but those who got in line after 7 p.m. were going to be casting provisional ballots, according to former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred. The Texas Supreme Court issued a statement Tuesday night saying voting should occur only as permitted by the Texas Election Code and that votes cast by voters who were not in line at 7 p.m. should be separated. Crockett, Talarico push for extended voting hours in Dallas, Williamson counties U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s camp issued a statement Tuesday afternoon saying Dallas County Republicans and the Williamson County GOP implemented precinct-specific voting locations on Election Day that were an “effort to suppress the vote” and that state law forced Democrats to “follow suit against our will.” “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,” Crockett said. “We are monitoring the situation and working with our local county party to explore all solutions, including an extension of election day voting hours.” During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Crockett said there were issues with the Dallas County Elections website staying online and providing accurate data, which made it difficult for voters to verify their precinct location. Texas Rep. James Talarico, who is running in the primary race against Crockett, issued a statement saying he was “deeply concerned about the reports of voters being turned away from the polls” and also called for an extension of voting hours. Crockett said voters in the counties are accustomed to countywide voting, which allows them to cast ballots at any voting location in the county during early voting and on Election Day, not just at their assigned precinct. That was true this year during early voting, where voters could cast a ballot at any of 73 early voting centers throughout Dallas County through Feb. 27. On Election Day, however, voters were required to identify themselves and report to their assigned precinct. Dallas County Elections has published maps to help voters locate their correct polling place — something many voters have not had to track in recent years. “I’m asking all voters in Dallas and Williamson Counties to check their county’s election website or their voter registration card and identify the correct polling location for today. Do not give up and do not give in. The only way we can put an end to these maneuvers is by outvoting the Republicans and kicking them out of office. I’m calling on you to go out and cast your ballots so they know — Texans don’t appreciate having their votes suppressed and we won’t take it lying down.” Kendall Scudder, chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, said Republicans in Dallas and Williamson counties refused to agree to a joint primary, which he said led to confusion and voters showing up at the wrong voting locations on Election Day. “Let’s be clear about what happened here. Both counties have spent a million dollars trying to get the word out about this change — a million dollars of taxpayer money that didn’t need to be spent. Democrats pushed for a joint election,” Scudder said. “As it has been for eight years, it would have been cheaper, simpler, and more accessible for every voter in the county. Republicans said no.” NBC 5 has repeatedly reported on the change in available locations on Election Day, warning voters that their options for voting on Tuesday were more limited than in the past. Early voting hours were extended in October 2024 in Dallas County after voters complained about wait times and problems voting, but that change was only approved after a vote by the Dallas County Commissioners Court and was done in accordance with a law that mandated a five-day notice to change the voting schedule. Voting hours were extended by two hours in May 2024 after County Judge Clay Jenkins declared a disaster, following severe storms that cut power to more than 100 polling places for several hours on Election Day. ...read more read less