A judge in Dallas County extended voting hours Tuesday to 9 p.m. for Democratic voters after reports surfaced of residents being turned away from polling locations. The extension applies only to Democratic polling sites, with ballots cast after 7 p.m. to be counted as provisional, according to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

The issue stems from non-joint primaries in North and Central Texas counties, including Dallas and Williamson, where voters must cast ballots at precinct-specific locations. Early in the day, some voters arrived at the wrong sites, in some cases following information from online sources provided by the Secretary of State, and were unable to vote.

Judge Jenkins confirmed the extension as a temporary measure to address these early issues, noting that Republicans did not request the same adjustment. Lawmakers in affected counties had called for changes after multiple reports of voters being redirected across North Texas, including instances where residents were sent from one city to another to reach the correct polling site.

The development highlights the challenges of precinct-specific voting in non-joint primary counties and comes as Texas holds high-profile primaries for governor, U.S. Senate, and congressional seats.