The Dallas County GOP announced it will switch back to countywide voting for the May 26 runoff after the March 3 precinct-based primary caused widespread confusion and long lines. Chair Allen West said precinct operations for a one-day runoff would risk "increased risk and voter confusion," while Democrats criticized the move as avoidable mismanagement. Other counties, including Williamson, are reviewing their plans ahead of the runoff, which features a high-profile Cornyn vs. Paxton Senate contest.
Dallas County GOP Reverts to Countywide Voting for May 26 Runoff After March Primary Disruptions
Dallas County Republican Party Chairman Allen West said the county would use countywide voting sites for the May 26 runoff election. (Eric Gay / AP file)(Eric Gay)
The Dallas County Republican Party announced it will return to a countywide voting system for the state's May 26 runoff elections after widespread confusion and disruptions during the March 3 primary under a precinct-based model.
In a statement, Dallas County GOP Chair Allen West said the party decided not to pursue precinct-based operations for Election Day runoff voting because it would expose the county party to "increased risk and voter confusion." West added, "There comes a time to know when to claim success and not go a bridge too far," noting that municipal elections and early voting through late April and May will be conducted countywide and that switching to precincts for a single-day runoff would create major disruption.
West left open the possibility of returning to precinct-level voting in the future, saying the party "successfully executed a non-joint precinct-based primary operation on March 3" and that officials will assess lessons learned and refine procedures ahead of March 2028.
What happened on March 3: Dallas County Republicans opted to run primaries separately at the precinct level — a departure from the joint, countywide voting-center approach that many counties have used. The change left thousands of voters confused about where to vote; some were turned away at polling places and others submitted provisional ballots. A Dallas County judge ordered Democratic polling sites to remain open for an additional two hours that day, but the Texas Supreme Court quickly blocked the order.
Wider reaction: Texas Democratic Party Chairman Kendall Scudder accused Republicans of "scrambling to undo the damage they created," saying Democratic warnings that precinct-only Election Day voting would cause long lines and voter confusion proved accurate. The Williamson County GOP also used precinct-level sites on March 3 and said it is "in talks to modify" its approach for the May runoff, though no final decision has been announced.
Counting concerns and costs: Republican officials in Dallas County initially argued that precinct-based voting would allow the party to hand-count ballots, reflecting skepticism about voting-machine accuracy promoted by some party members. Election experts warned that large-scale hand counts can introduce errors and delays; Dallas Republicans ultimately abandoned plans to hand-count ballots because of the high costs, though the precinct voting structure remained in place for the primary.
What’s at stake: The May 26 runoff includes a high-profile GOP Senate primary between Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, as well as several House primary runoffs.
Originally published on NBC News.
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