10:00 a.m.: Congressional candidate Dione Sims greets voters<\/p>\n
Reporting by Brody Gates and Daniel McCree<\/p>\n
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Congressional candidate Dione Sims ready to meet voters outside Southside Community Center on March 3, 2026. (Brody Gates)<\/p>\n
The Fort Worth community was active this morning with voters turning out at locations from the Southside Community Center to the Trinity Terrace assisted living facility.<\/p>\n
Dione Sims, a 57-year-old Democratic candidate running for Congress in the 25th District, was at the Southside Community Center to meet voters. She said \u201cuniversal health care for all families\u201d is important to her as she wants to make it affordable and accessible for everyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When asked what makes her stand apart from her opponent, retired U.S. Navy Capt. William Marks, Sims said, \u201cI\u2019ve lived in this community all my life\u2026 I\u2019m homegrown.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sims is the granddaughter of Opal Lee and said that she helped her grandmother make Juneteenth a national holiday. She said freedom and protecting freedoms are \u201cbaked into\u201d what she does. <\/p>\n
At Trinity Terrace assisted living facility, voters also shared their frustration with the two-party system. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why I hate the two-party system\u2026 Why are we forced to go between the two people that they (the Republican and Democratic committees) choose by the way?\u201d Morgan, a 33-year-old yoga instructor and political science graduate, said. \u201cI know voting\u2019s important, but at the same time I\u2019m so discouraged because no matter when I vote, I feel pissed off.\u201d<\/p>\n
George Chaffee, an 82-year-old retiree, said that he always took pride in not \u201cvoting a straight ticket\u201d and that he hopes this election can bring more integrity into office.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Voters and candidates agreed that it is important for people to vote, especially given the impact young people can make.<\/p>\n
Sims said young people sometimes pass on voting because they assume older voters will turn out, while older voters may sit it out thinking younger people are voting. She said every vote matters and voting all the way down to the county level even matters \u201cbecause that\u2019s where we live.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chaffee said young people need to vote as soon as they can, as when people don\u2019t vote nothing changes and \u201cit\u2019s just kind of a slap in the face to democracy.\u201d He also said it\u2019s good to study the candidates.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chaffee and his wife actually believe that younger people are the ones that can probably start making the changes they want to see. <\/p>\n
9:00 a.m.: Voters are active at Paschal High School<\/p>\n
Reporting by Laney Davis<\/p>\n
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A quiet parking lot outside Gus Bates Center, a Tarrant County voting site. (Laney Davis)<\/p>\n
Early this morning, voters filtered in and out of Gus Bates Center at Paschal High School, one of the many voting locations in Tarrant County. <\/p>\n
Citizens of all ages and occupations participated in the 2026 primary.\u00a0Voters at Paschal noted that the short lines and friendly staff make for a simple voting experience. However, some voters expressed serious concerns about the wording of propositions, affecting how they cast their ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI did not care for how the propositions were worded,\u201d said Jeff Bates, a 66-year-old voter. \u201cIf it was not worded clearly, I just voted against it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Other voters shared opinions on specific issues concerning the war in Gaza. Their votes were tailored towards representatives who did not support AIPAC.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI voted for Talarico because he opposes corporate AIPAC money,\u201d said Melanie Navarro, a 38-year-old stay-at-home mom. \u201cGoing in today, I was primarily concerned about issues that improve resources to help the community at large, like affordable housing and health care.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI did not want to vote for a candidate that was AIPAC funded,\u201d said Julia Gatica, a senior strategic communication major. \u201cI voted for Talarico because I think he will do a great job at getting Trump voters to switch sides. It\u2019s important to me that Congress becomes majority Democrat.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
While most voters at Paschal this morning who were willing to share their voting experiences said they cast ballots for Democratic candidates, others explained their reasoning for voting Republican.\u00a0\u201cProperty tax is a big deal to me,\u201d said Mike Borah, a 77-year-old retiree. \u201cI voted for Greg Abbott because he has done a great job in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was a quiet morning until a man bolted through the parking lot causing a scene. \u201cAbolish Congress,\u201d he yelled as he quickly ran off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Voting at Paschal will continue throughout the day.<\/p>\n
What voters need to know before heading to the polls<\/p>\n
TCU News Now\u2019s Megan Esparza breaks down key races, newly redrawn districts, what voters need to know and important runoff dates.<\/p>\n
7:00 a.m.: Polls open across Texas<\/p>\n
Reporting by Miroslava Lem Quinonez<\/p>\n
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Voting signs are posted outside of Paschal High School. (Laney Davis)<\/p>\n
Polls are open across Texas until 7 p.m. tonight. Remember, voters who are in line by 7 p.m. can stay in line and cast their ballot. Texans across all 254 counties are setting the ballot for the November general election ballot.<\/p>\n
Primary elections allow voters to select their party\u2019s candidate for the general election. In Texas, voters do not register by party, but they must choose which party\u2019s ballot they want during the primary.<\/p>\n
Voters will select candidates for a range of statewide offices, including governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, land commissioner, agriculture commissioner and comptroller, along with seats for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House.<\/p>\n
Texas is also holding numerous House primaries under a newly redrawn congressional map, after state Republicans reshaped district lines last summer.<\/p>\n
In Tarrant County, more than 122,000 Democratic voters cast ballots during early voting<\/a> compared to about 91,000 Republicans. The last day of early voting brought a sharp increase in turnout, with 22,903 Democratic voters casting ballots and 17,388 Republican voters doing the same.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Dionne Phillips Bagsby Southwest Subcourthouse led Democratic turnout with 7,696 ballots. On the Republican side, Keller Town Hall saw one of the highest totals at 6,397 ballots.<\/p>\n Texas voters must show an approved photo ID at the polls, such as a Texas driver\u2019s license, state ID, passport or military ID. Voters without one may still cast a provisional ballot by completing a form at their polling place.<\/p>\n