Texas Senate Democratic candidates U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico said they may request extending voting hours in Dallas and Williamson counties after voters were turned away due to changes in voting location rules.
This year, Republicans in both counties eliminated centralized voting locations, which had become a common practice.
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As a result, voters — Democratic and Republican — were required to cast ballots at their assigned neighborhood polling places, instead of centralized sites as in previous elections.
“Both Dallas and Williamson county voters have grown accustomed to countywide voting, including on election day,” the Dallas congresswoman said in a statement. “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 added: “We are monitoring the situation and working with our local county party to explore all solutions, including an extension of election day voting hours.”
The Texas Democratic Party urged voters in those counties to confirm their assigned polling location before heading out to vote. Hundreds of voters had been turned away due to the change, according to the party.
Talarico, an Austin Democrat and Crockett’s primary rival, said in a statement that he was “deeply concerned about the reports,” and called for an extension of voting hours.
“We will continue to evaluate the situation on the ground and are calling for an extension of voting hours to ensure all Texans’ voices are heard in this critical election,” Talarico said.
This is a developing story that will be updated.