In ominous sign, Texas Republicans changed voting rules, then blocked efforts to protect voters
Democracy Docket • • nation
Key Points:
- Texas Republicans in Dallas and Williamson counties switched from countywide vote centers to precinct-based voting for the primary, causing widespread voter confusion and long lines as many struggled to find their correct polling locations.
- The change, driven by GOP officials citing legal authority but rooted in unfounded conspiracy theories about multiple voting, disenfranchised voters from both parties and sparked criticism that the move was a deliberate voter suppression tactic ahead of competitive fall elections.
- Democratic groups filed emergency petitions to extend voting hours due to the chaos, but Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, successfully appealed these orders to the GOP-controlled state Supreme Court, which blocked the extensions.
- GOP leaders expressed satisfaction with how their voters adapted despite the confusion, while Democrats condemned the situation as
