AUSTIN, Texas — Tuesday is Election Day in Texas, with voters statewide heading to the polls to vote for candidates they want to see in the November election.
Updated 9:22 p.m.
The Texas Supreme Court ordered Dallas County to separate any votes cast by voters who were not in line by 7 p.m., temporarily blocking a district court judge’s order for the polls to remain open.
The court issued its ruling after the Texas Attorney General’s office intervened, arguing the lower court did not properly notify his office.
Updated 9:11 p.m.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick declared victory in his race.
He released a statement that read, in part:
Texas Republicans have spoken clearly, reaffirming their commitment to keeping our state on a conservative path. Under my leadership, the Texas Senate has been the driving force for Texas becoming the most conservative state in the nation, and I will continue that push during my next term.I would like to thank the conservative majority of Texas voters for re-nominating me.As Lieutenant Governor, Texas conservatives can be assured that nobody will outwork me to keep Texas red. Tonight, I am excited to announce another bus tour. My campaign will traverse rural Texas, ensuring rural voters, the heart of our GOP grassroots, are energized and engaged to keep Texas red.
Updated 8:36 p.m.
Two Williamson County polling locations have been court ordered to remain open until 10 p.m., according to county officials.
Northstar Georgetown, located at 2401 Westinghouse Road, and Georgetown Annex, located at 100 Wilco Way, will remain open for both Democratic and Republican primaries.
“All votes cast after 7 p.m. are provisional ballots according to Election Code,” officials said. “Because provisional ballots take additional time to process, none of the votes cast during extended polling hours will be processed tonight. They will be reported with other provisional voters on the Monday following the elections.”
Updated 8:17 p.m.
Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick won their primaries, both decisively beating several lesser-known Republican challengers to continue their reelection bids.
Updated 7:34 p.m.
Thirty minutes after voting has wrapped up in most counties, Abbott has 84% of the vote on the Republican side with 21 counties reporting.
State Rep. Gina Hinojosa is in the lead on the Democratic side with 53% of the votes.
Updated 7:20 p.m.
Dallas police detained a man outside Ken Paxton’s watch party location in Dallas, CBS News reports.
The man arrived at the Marriott Hotel in a car without license plates, with camo boots, hat, shirt, pants and a camo mask, according to CBS News. Police handcuffed him and pulled several rounds of ammo from him before he was taken away in a Dallas police car.
Updated 7:10 p.m.
CBS Austin reporter Vinny Martorano is covering the Texas Senate Republican primary, with a runoff election possible between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
He is inside the press room, where Cornyn is expected to speak around 8:30 p.m.
Cornyn’s media team says they are not having a watch party, anticipating a runoff election.
Updated 7:01 p.m.
Williamson County officials responded to claims that voters were turned away at the polls. They provided a statement, that read in part:
Each party identified locations for their polling locations. Vote Centers, where a citizen could vote at any polling location, were available during early voting. If someone did not go to their specific polling location for their voting precinct, they would be redirected to the correct voting location.
They added that Williamson County GOP primary results are not expected until Wednesday morning due to a ballot-counting process chosen by the local party.
Unlike the county’s standard method, the Republican Party opted to have voters place ballots in separate boxes by precinct. Those boxes will be transported to the central counting station and scanned after polls close.
Officials warned the process will be time-consuming.
“Voters should not be concerned by limited results,” officials said
Updated 7 p.m.
Polls have officially closed. Results can be found here.
Updated 6:51 p.m.
CBS Austin reporter Andrew Lamparski is covering the Democratic Senate race between James Talarico and Rep. Jasmine Crockett.
He is currently at Antone’s, where Talarico is holding a watch party. He says supporters are starting to file in.
Updated 6:36 p.m.
CBS Austin reporter Farrah Walton is covering an event hosted by the Young Conservatives of Texas and the Texas Young Republicans. She said Texas Department of Public Safety troopers are providing security.
Governor Abbott is expected to deliver remarks.
Updated 6:07 p.m.
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, The Texas Tribune reports.
The Texas Democratic Party joined the call.
Updated 8:10 a.m.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, with high-profile Senate primaries on the ballot, along with other elections.
Voting locations are open across central Texas, with the City of Austin opening 30 locations for Travis County voters throughout the City.
Travis County voters can find an interactive map of polling locations, along with a complete list of polling sites, here.
Williamson County voters can find a complete list of their polling sites here.
More information on voting in Hays County can be found here.
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What’s on the ballot?
A closely-watched Republican primary is tightening, with a runoff election possible between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The competitive Democratic race between James Talarico and Rep. Jasmine Crockett is also being watched.
Former Austin City Council member and Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo is running in the Democratic primary to represent District 49 in the Texas House of Representatives.
Numerous Democratic candidates are hoping to challenge Texas Governor Greg Abbott in November, including Gina Hinojosa, who has represented Texas’ 49th District in the State House of Representatives since 2017.
Tips for a smooth Election Day
The Travis County Clerk is giving voters tips to have a smoother voting process this election day, the most important being to plan ahead.
With lines expected to be long this Election Day, voters are asked to come prepared:
Review your sample ballot before arriving.Have your choices ready to avoid deciding in the booth.Use less-busy voting sites to avoid long lines.Vote earlier in the day.Have your ID ready to check in quickly.