Texas Primaries: Chaos, Concession, and Concerns

0:00In Sydney today, March 5, Texas held Democratic and Republican primaries on Tuesday ahead of the November midterms. And a closely watched Democratic congressional race, State Representative James Tolerico defeated Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett with 53 percent of the vote to her 46 percent. The elections saw major confusion at polls in Dallas and Williams and counties. For the first time in years, local Republicans refused joint voting sites, forcing separate locations for each party. This led to poor signage, voters getting lost, and some being turned away. Crockett at first refused to concede on election night, claiming disenfranchisement from the chaos, especially in Dallas, where polls stayed open late. The issues hit young voters, working class people, and communities of color hardest, groups that tend to vote on election day, Texas's Supreme Court stepped in, ordering Dallas to separate any votes cast after 7pm by people not already in line. They conceded the next day in endorsed Tolerico.

1:02Voting advocates warned this could signal broader suppression tactics for the midterms nationwide. Democratic leaders hope the struggles motivate more turnout, proving how vital these votes really are. This episode is brought to you in partnership with our sponsor, a pillow that sounds as good as it feels. Built for listening in bed, S-O-L-I-SOLYPILO.com