Why It Matters
Texas grants county political parties unusual control over how primary elections are administered, allowing them to determine voting locations and ballot-counting methods on election day. Recent decisions by Republican parties in multiple counties to eliminate countywide voting and switch to hand-counting ballots produced widespread voter confusion, long lines, and delayed results — exposing the risks of a century-old system with limited public accountability.
What Happened
The March 2026 Republican primary in Williamson County descended into what local officials described as a “mess.” Voters did not know where to cast ballots. Lines grew chaotic. Election workers made errors and misplaced ballots. The Williamson County Republican Party had eliminated countywide voting last fall, forcing all voters to use assigned precincts for the first time in more than a decade. Republican parties in Dallas and Eastland counties made the same change.
At a county commissioners court meeting days after the election, Michelle Evans, chair of the Williamson County GOP, acknowledged the problems but said Republicans were not solely responsible. Upset voters and poll workers packed the courthouse in Georgetown to voice frustration.
Republican County Commissioner Russ Boles said neighbors contacted him on election day, unable to vote. He tried explaining that the parties, not the county, administered the election. “They don’t buy it,” he said.
By the Numbers
In Dallas County, at least 12,674 voters went to the wrong precinct after Republicans switched from countywide voting to precinct-based voting. Hand-counting of GOP primary results in Eastland County continued until late the day after the election. Calhoun County Republicans missed a state-mandated deadline to report results. In Gillespie County, where Republicans eliminated all electronic election equipment, errors occurred and the elections administrator believes at least two instances of double-voting took place.
How Texas Primaries Work
Texas is among the few states that allow county political parties to control primary election administration on election day. Under state law, parties decide where voters cast ballots, how they vote, and how ballots are counted. County governments administer early voting, but parties take over on election day. Taxpayers cover the costs.
The arrangement has been law for more than 100 years. Experts and officials say it has caused more problems recently, driven in part by changes demanded by some Republicans influenced by unfounded claims about election technology. County election officials who warned about potential problems could not block the Williamson County GOP’s decision.
Zoom Out
Republicans have pressed for greater control over Texas primaries. In late 2025, county party officials sued Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson, seeking to close the primary and create their own voter registration system. Within the past five years, officials from both major parties have been charged with misusing state-allocated election funds.
What’s Next
State lawmakers are unlikely to strip parties of primary control. State Rep. Matt Shaheen, a Republican who chairs the House elections committee, said he would rather see parties learn from mistakes than lose decision-making authority. State Rep. John Bucy, an Austin Democrat and the committee’s vice chair, said he is planning legislation that would allow each party to make independent decisions about countywide voting, preventing one party from forcing the other into precinct voting against its will.