With days left before early voting begins, where Dallas County residents can vote continues to change.
Several places selected to be early-voting locations approved last month declined, were unavailable to host or were swapped for a different site.
Local Democratic and Republican parties each set primary election day locations, but the county is required, under contract with the parties, to establish the early voting sites.
So again, on Feb. 12, the list of early voting centers changed.
Elections Administrator Paul Adams said during the special-called commissioners court meeting that separate Republican and Democratic elections has stressed planning.
"We kind of anticipated some of the things that might happen here today for early-vote, so we can kind of adjust for that," he said. "But as we get farther down the road with the polling places, the issue is going to be making absolutely certain — especially those places that only Democrats or only Republicans are voting, that the equipment that is dropped off, is the proper equipment for that place.
"...If we have a place that's supposed to be a Democrat polling place, but they only get Republican equipment, that obviously is gonna be a problem for election day," he said.
Staff are giving extra effort to serve the parties and voters, he said.
"They're doing the best job that they can dealing with the circumstances that we are under," he said. "There are individuals in logistics that have worked through the weekend. They have been working 12-hour days in order to make this happen."
Lew Sterrett jail was added for eligible inmates to vote, as well as anyone in the public.
And a Grand Prairie site was replaced.
Both are in Commissioner Elba Garcia's district.
"I'm going to be very honest, it's holding my breath and very uneasy," she said.
Current locations are posted and will be updated on Dallas County's voter information site as polling places change.
"Whatever we have as of this moment, we are required to post those starting 21 days before the election," Adams said. "So those needed to go up. Whatever we have at the time is going to be on the website. As anything changes, we will make those changes, but we were required to post those starting 21 days before the election."
Garcia said to Adams during the meeting that she could have helped adjust locations sooner if she had been notified.
"I can help if you communicate with me," she said. "But if I don't get into the communication, there's no way I can help you. And when you tell me one day before this meeting, it's very limited how fast the communication can be."
Dallas County Republican Party's months-long effort to count primary election ballots by hand would have automatically required separate elections.
Though that initiative was abandoned because of logistics, cost and staffing, the local party elected to still hold its own precinct-based election, changing the county's 12-years of joint elections.
The party's choice for separate elections forced people voting in the Republican or Democratic primary to vote at their own designated polling location on primary election day in March.
Early voting can still be done at any of the 71 county-wide locations Feb. 17 to 27, which county leaders and voter advocacy groups have encouraged to avoid confusion.
People who choose to vote on March 3 can only do so at their one designated polling center.
The elections department had previously found that some locations on the county Republican Party's list were unavailable and that some Democratic Party locations could be, too.
That delayed informing voters where to go on primary election day.
Republicans have combined many small precincts into single, larger ones, despite wanting precinct-specific voting.
Got a tip? Email Marina Trahan Martinez at mmartinez@kera.org. You can follow Marina at @HisGirlHildy.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
