Dallas County Republican Party to Return to Countywide Voting for May 26 Runoff

On March 18, 2026, the Dallas County Republican Party announced it will abandon precinct-only voting and revert to countywide voting centers for the state’s May 26 runoff, citing widespread voter disruption during the March primary under the precinct-based system.

Party chair Allen West said the decision reflects concerns that using precinct operations for a single-day runoff would increase the risk of voter confusion and operational problems, particularly given municipal elections and early voting already scheduled across the county in late April and May. West indicated the party may reconsider precinct-level voting for future cycles after assessing lessons from the March election.

The move follows a March 3 primary in which Dallas County — the state’s second-most-populous county — shifted to separate precinct-run GOP polling sites, a change that left thousands of voters uncertain about where to cast ballots; some voters were turned away or submitted provisional ballots. A local judge briefly ordered extended hours for Democratic sites on March 3 before the Texas Supreme Court intervened. Texas Democratic Party leaders criticized the precinct decision as the source of Election Day chaos. Other Texas counties, including Williamson, also used precinct-only sites in March. The May 26 ballot will include a high-profile Republican Senate runoff between John Cornyn and Ken Paxton, along with several congressional primaries.