In a move that proves some people actually miss the feeling of being rejected at a library door, the Dallas County GOP is suing to bring back the absolute dumpster fire that was precinct-only voting. Because why let people vote at any convenient location on their way to work when you can force them to find a specific, poorly marked elementary school gym that hasn’t been updated since 1984?
For those who missed the “fun” in March, the Dallas Republicans insisted on precinct-specific voting, which resulted in over 12,000 voters showing up at the wrong locations. It was a masterclass in inefficiency that even our own local officials would admire. Now, despite the former chair (the ever-calm Allen West) trying to fix it by agreeing to countywide voting for the runoff, the party has revolted. They’ve sued to ensure the May 26 runoff is just as confusing as the primary.
The lawsuit, led by a guy who clearly has too much free time, argues that West didn’t have the “authority” to make life easier for voters. Meanwhile, the Dallas County Elections Department is screaming into the void, pointing out that they’ve already programmed the machines, trained the workers, and sent out mail-in ballots. The GOP’s response? Their lawyer called the total restructuring of an election “a mild inconvenience.” Spoken like someone who has never had to explain to a 90-year-old grandmother why her “traditional” polling place is now a closed CVS.
You just know the Lubbock GOP is watching this and drooling. Why have “Vote Centers” that actually work when we could return to the glory days of precinct maps that require a PhD in cartography to navigate? If there’s one thing Texas politicians hate more than a functional power grid, it’s a voter who doesn’t have to jump through three flaming hoops just to cast a ballot for a District Commissioner.
Does it even count as a “democracy” if you aren’t wandering around a parking lot at 6:45 PM asking a confused librarian where the Republican line went?
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