It’s Election Day, and Texans are heading to the polls to cast votes for national, statewide and local races.
The biggest race of the election is undoubtedly the presidential matchup between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. But several other closely watched races are on the ballot, including the U.S. Senate race in Texas between Republican incumbent Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Colin Allred, as well as a slew of contentious propositions in Dallas.
Reporters and photographers for The Dallas Morning News are fanning out across North Texas to track activity at polling places. We will provide the latest details on races, live updates throughout the day and this evening as election results are totaled.
6:36 p.m. ‘The biggest election we’ve ever had’
After work, Daniel Wellen voted for Vice President Kamala Harris at Booker T. Washington High School in Dallas.
The 41-year-old said he wants to prevent former President Donald Trump from winning the race.
”I am voting for democracy, and I genuinely believe that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy,” Wellen said. “What he is saying is espousing fascist words that other fascist dictators have said, and he aligns himself with those types of people.”
Wellen worries that if Trump returns to the White House, “he will not leave office until he’s dead.”
When it comes to Harris, Wellen said she didn’t do well as vice president. However, he was impressed with her campaign after she became the Democratic nominee.
”I do respect the fact that she is qualified,” he said. “I mean, being a trial attorney and then a district attorney is really impressive.”
He believes Harris will surround herself with subject-matter experts in her cabinet who can help her lead the country to a better future.
“This is a pivotal moment in American history,” Wellen said. “This is the biggest election we’ve ever had.”
– Marcela Rodrigues
6:13 p.m. ‘It made me tear up.’ Voting leaves residents inspired
There isn’t anything quite like the energy around an election, said Erika Cerrillo, a poll watcher with the Texas Organization Project.
Cerrillo, who lives in Athens and voted early, recalled seeing a mother leaving the Anita Martinez Recreation Center in West Dallas with her young son Tuesday and overheard the parent saying, “This is why you have to stay out to trouble, so you never lose your right to vote.”
”It made me tear up,” Cerrillo, 28, said. “Because the right to vote is so important, and it is something that can be lost.”
Immigration and women’s rights were the top issues for her in this election, which is why she said she voted for the Democratic U.S. Rep. Colin Allred over incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.
“Ted Cruz has been in office long enough,” Cerrillo said. “He has supported policies that are harmful to communities, like SB4, and I think it’s time to have someone who will represent everyone.”
Tuesday marked the first time Leo Biggins and LaKisha Skelton voted in an election. Myllori Roberts made sure they wouldn’t miss it.
”I told them y’all need to register and have your voices heard,” Roberts, 38, said. “I’ll drag you there myself.”
Roberts said they all came to the recreation center after she finished work for the day at RaceTrac.
Biggins, 62, said he’d experienced homelessness throughout his life and “just didn’t think voting was for me.”
”I’m proud that I’m here,” he said.
Skelton said concerns about whether her vote would matter held her back from going to the polls.
”It was a little confusing, and I do hope my votes mean something,” Skelton, 35, said with a laugh. “But at least I got a ride here.”
All three said they were excited to vote for Kamala Harris. ”If Trump wins again, I really feel like we’re all doomed,” Biggins said.
Roberts, who lives in West Dallas, said she voted for most of the propositions impacting the city’s charter as the changes made sense to her.
She voted for salary increases for the mayor and council members because of the demands of their jobs and for decriminalizing less than four ounces of marijuana. She hopes police will focus on more serious crimes. Roberts said she supported Proposition U because it mandates an increase to 4,000 officers, roughly 900 more than the current number.
“Why not?” Roberts said. “We need them.”
– Everton Bailey Jr.
5:45 p.m. Politifact to debunk Election Day misinformation
As polls begin to close across the country, falsehoods may spread across social media.
PolitiFact will monitor Election Day 2024 to bring voters accurate information by publishing live fact-checks about alleged fraud and other rumored issues.
If readers stumble across information online and aren’t sure whether it’s true, they can reach out to PolitiFact at truthometer@politifact.com or text a question to (727) 382-4727.
5:30 p.m. Support for Proposition R
Rae Carter, who identifies as a lifelong Democrat, voted Tuesday at Dallas College’s El Centro campus.
The 29-year-old was motivated to vote against former President Donald Trump and for Proposition R — which would largely bar the Dallas Police Department from making arrests for marijuana possession.
Carter, originally from San Diego, said the attitudes toward marijuana in Texas feel outdated.
“There’s also a racial element. Black people tend to be more criminalized for it,” she said. “And I believe police should be more focused on violent crimes as opposed to drugs.”
In the presidential race, Carter said she hates “everything [Trump] stands for” and wants to see a “second Black president and a first woman president.”
Carter voted for Vice President Kamala Harris and is excited about her economic proposals for first-time homeowners.
“I don’t have kids, but I do support that her and Walz will implement tax credits for kids,” she said.
Carter said there’s a lot of discontent among young people and “the only way to change the government to reflect our values is to vote. That’s the main thing that got me out of bed this morning.”
Meanwhile, James Parker, 35, cast his vote for Trump at the Junius Heights Church in Old East Dallas.
Parker said he “had a better experience with Trump in office.” Parker said he’s been unemployed for about two months this year but was never out of work during the former president’s administration.
”Kamala really don’t [sic] have a good track record right now,” he said. “She’s been in office four years, and I can’t name one of the things that she has done this year that actually benefits me or my family and my demographic.”
Parker also supported Proposition R. He is from Michigan, where marijuana is legal for adult recreational use.
”If you’re thinking maybe your vote don’t [sic] count, still just go out and vote anyway because you never know,” he said.
– Marcela Rodrigues and Maggie Prosser
5:10 p.m. Voter hopes proposition will keep Dallas city officials on their toes
Kristen Douglas, 40, had a straight-forward reason to vote for Kamala Harris: After the Jan. 6 insurrection, she couldn’t imagine supporting Donald Trump.
Douglas, a Dallas resident who works in sales, was also paying attention to the other consequential races on the ballot. Lately, whenever she watches TV shows on Hulu, she said she gets inundated with attack ads in the Cruz-Allred Senate contest.
”I know what it’s been like with Ted Cruz, and I’m ready to move on,” she said. Douglas remembers how it felt to see him fly to Cancun while the state froze in 2021.
Douglas read over the city of Dallas’ proposition questions several times before filling in her ballot at the Anita Martinez Recreation Center.
She said she voted in favor of Proposition T, which would require Dallas to conduct an annual survey of at least 1,400 residents, rating the city manager’s performance. The results could trigger the City Council to approve a massive financial bonus – or lead to termination.
To Douglas, this system seems likely to spur more accountability at City Hall. Too often, she said, city leaders become complacent. She supports the idea of keeping officials on their toes.
”It creates checks and balances,” she said. “That’s good for the city.”
Still, she questions how such a survey would be implemented. Who would get to weigh in, she wonders, and what neighborhoods would they come from?
– Talia Richman
5 p.m. To ease election anxiety, voter puts trust in God
Marie Garcia, 42, of Far East Dallas, voted at Grace United Methodist Church.
Garcia said her faith in God prevents her from feeling the heavy anxiety expressed by her friends about the election and the coming days.
”Whatever happens, I don’t intend to let it affect me,” the preschool teacher said. “I put my trust in the Holy Spirit and don’t let people wind me up.”
Garcia was conflicted about whether she would vote and, even as she studied her ballot, she wasn’t sure which direction to go. She doesn’t like some of what Kamala Harris represents, especially “the flashy celebrities who surround her.” But Garcia’s father, who died a decade ago, believed in how the Democratic Party helped those in need. “So I leaned on God and felt called to vote for Harris,” she said.
Garcia wanted to set a good example by voting — and persuaded her adult daughter to come vote as well.
It’s more important to do her part every day to make this a better world, she added. “No matter who wins, I will keep moving forward,” she said. “I’m confident that in the end, it’s all in God’s hands.”
– Sharon Grigsby and Tracey McManus
4:46 p.m. In Carrollton, health care draws voters on both sides
Pinky Pratt exited the Carrollton Public Library at Josey Ranch Lake after voting Tuesday, a black “Make America Great Again” ballcap on his head.
”I’m a staunch Republican, I have been my entire life,” Pratt said. “I’ll always vote straight Republican ticket.”
Pratt, 72, is concerned about border security and the economy, but his experiences in health care were top of mind when he cast his vote for former President Donald Trump.
“I’ve been a nurse practitioner for 25 years,” Pratt said. “I don’t think either side’s got it right. [But] I think some of the things Trump did last term … what he did up front for COVID is what saved us, nothing Biden did.”
Health care was a motivator for Barbara Harper, 22, who also voted at the Josey Lake Ranch library. The first-time voter helps care for her mother, who has stage four breast cancer.
”She really wanted to vote, and she told me that if she was able to come and stand and be out around a lot of people she definitely would,” Harper said. “And that was kind of the biggest thing for me. I obviously wanted to [vote] for myself, but for her it’s extra important because she’s very much passionate about it.”
Harper said she voted for Democratic candidates because she is also concerned about women’s rights and bodily autonomy. Whatever the outcome, Harper said, Tuesday’s election feels momentous.
”It feels like a big one, because it feels like it’s gonna be a turn no matter what happens,” Harper said.
– Amber Gaudet
4:36 p.m. First-time voter casts ballot in Grapevine
It was quiet outside the Grapevine Middle School polling location but for the slow trickle of voters leaving the school and a faint ring of a bell inside — a sign a first-time voter had cast a ballot.
The chime was for Jalen Gaskin. After his 18th birthday in April, the Grapevine resident started making plans to vote. His younger brother attends the middle school, he said, so it was a good fit.
He came with his mother, Janay Gaskin. While it was “overwhelming” to know her oldest son was now voting age, she said, she was proud he cast his first vote.
She had run through the process with him beforehand.
”Don’t rush through all the questions. Just take your time. If you don’t understand, skip it. If you don’t feel confident in answering, you just leave it blank,” Gaskin, 36, recalled telling her son. “He did it — responsibly — on his own.”
Help from family — in the form of phone calls and text messages reminding him it was Election Day — also drove Hayden Melton to the middle school to vote.
While he is sometimes frustrated with the two-party system, Melton, 21, said he was casting his ballot in the hopes it would lead to change.
“I’m kind of tired of the same two sides every year,” he said. “So it’s getting a little old, but, you know, hopefully we can change it.”
– Chase Rogers and Salette Ontiveros
4:15 p.m. Push to recruit voters from Black and Hispanic communities
Across the street from the polling place at the Charles F. Griffin Building in Fort Worth, music pulsed through the air. A small crowd in teal T-shirts gathered around a food truck, and a billboard truck rotated with endorsements for Harris and Allred.
It was part of an effort by BlackTOP — a subgroup of the Texas Organizing Project — to bring in more voters from Black and Hispanic communities.
Patrice Jones, the political education coordinator for BlackTOP, said the group has spent weeks door knocking, talking to potential voters and encouraging them to vote.
“They don’t believe that their vote matters,” Jones said. BlackTOP has endorsed three candidates: Harris, Allred and Patrick Moses, the Democratic candidate for Tarrant County Sheriff.
Jones said she became politically active in 2020, during the George Floyd protests. She was arrested by Fort Worth police during a protest that year. Though the charges were later dropped, the incident pushed her deeper into activism.
“I was just a regular person,” Jones said. “That really sparked something inside of me.”
Jones hopes to see more people take action, particularly voting.
Jones said she’s talked with people in the Fort Worth area who are concerned about hyperlocal topics, such as the number of people who have died in the Tarrant County jail in the last few years.
The people she’s talked to in Black and Hispanic neighborhoods are also worried about the national picture, she said, particularly what a second Trump term would mean for them.
“A lot of people in these communities are terrified about what could happen if Donald Trump is elected again,” she said.
– Emily Brindley
3:50 p.m. Voters feel uninformed about controversial S, T and U propositions
Election Day interviews with more than two dozen voters regarding the controversial S, T and U propositions — also known as the “Hero Initiative” props — turned up a common refrain. Most Dallas voters were unaware propositions would be on the ballot, much less 18 of them, and the ballot was the first place they saw them.
Only a handful of the voters said they had heard pro or con arguments from the two sides — despite each camp mounting aggressive campaigns.
Most seemed to follow their instincts in making decisions. Those who voted for the police proposition expressed concerns about public safety. Those who voted against expressed skepticism about policing in general.
Ben Michiels’ comments were representative of much of what voters said about their lack of information. He knew nothing about the amendments before voting and didn’t recall hearing anything from either side.
“I voted for the one calling for more police officers,” he said. “We live in a large metropolitan area, and I’ve always felt we haven’t had enough police officers for Dallas. Everything I have ever read or heard on the news was we were short and needed more personnel to fill those positions.”
City manager: “I voted against that. It doesn’t make sense to me that someone in that position would be compensated through something that sounded so simplistic.”
Right to sue: “I voted for that. Cities aren’t perfect organizations and people should have the right to take legal action. We hope those suits are worthwhile, not something ridiculous because people file ridiculous lawsuits all the time. But I think there should be that right there because the city can at some times be at fault for it actions.”
Annie Benvie, 31, who designs children’s crafts at Michael’s, knew almost nothing about the amendments before voting. She had seen some signs and had heard a little about one from a friend. She might have heard from one or the other side — “I got so many text messages in recent weeks I wanted to throw my phone off a building. So if I did, I probably deleted them without reading them.”
Her strongest opinion was on the police item: “No. I don’t trust the police we have now. I don’t want more of them. I would rather money be spent on training rather than adding more potentially less-trained cops.”
– Sharon Grigsby
3:35 p.m. Voters seeking outside help to make last-minute decisions
Lareatha Blunt wasn’t sure Tuesday morning if she even wanted to vote. Both presidential candidates seemed to her like little kids who just wanted to bicker.
It was Blunt’s own teenage children who convinced her that casting a ballot was important. Pray on it, they told their mother.
By the time she arrived at the Dallas College West Dallas Center around 3 p.m., the 44-year-old Dallas resident had decided to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.
“At least Kamala can say ‘we’ in a sentence and [Trump] can only say ‘I’,” she explained.
– Talia Richman
3:30 p.m. Wall Street rallies on Election Day as economy remains solid
U.S. stocks rallied on the last day of the presidential election and as more data piled up to show the economy remains solid. The S&P 500 rose 1.2% Tuesday and moved closer to its record set last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 1%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1.4%.
Excitement about the artificial-intelligence boom helped lift Wall Street following a strong profit report from Palantir Technologies. So did a report showing growth accelerated last month for U.S. services businesses, beating economists’ expectations for a slowdown.
The market’s main event, though, is the election, even if the result may not be known for days or weeks as officials count all the votes. Such uncerta inty could upset markets, along with an upcoming meeting by the Federal Reserve on interest rates later this week. The widespread expectation is for it to cut its main interest rate for a second straight time.
Despite all the uncertainty heading into the final day of voting, many professional investors suggest keeping the focus on the long term. The broad U.S. stock market has historically tended to rise regardless of which party wins the White House, even if each party’s policies can help and hurt different industries’ profits underneath the surface.
Since 1945, the S&P 500 has risen in 73% of the years where a Democrat was president and 70% of the years when a Republican was the nation’s chief executive, according to Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA.
– The Associated Press
3:05 p.m. Voter’s abortion experience motivates her 2024 decision
Ana Robeldo, a Rockwall County native, has been voting to remove Sen. Ted Cruz from office.
“He doesn’t represent me,” she said, referring to his abortion record.Cruz has been a vocal advocate for abortion restrictions.
Robeldo, 31, has had two abortions, one of which stemmed from an ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when the embryo implants outside the uterus.
“Women are dying because they can’t get access to abortion care,” Robeldo said. “I needed to have an abortion to save my life.”
She is now the mother of twins — a 2-year-old boy and girl. They were conceived with the help of in-vitro fertilization. Robeldo voted for Kamala Harris and Colin Allred.
Her younger sister, Valerie Robeldo, 20, also voted for the Democratic candidates in the presidential and senate races. It was her first time voting, she said.
She remembers being in middle school when Trump won the 2016 election. His presidency seemed to usher in an era where racist or offensive comments became normalized, she said, noting that she heard such remarks at school.
“I came here because I needed to be a part of this. I couldn’t just sit and not do anything,” Robeldo said.
– Uwa Ede-Osifo
2:45 p.m. Decriminalizing marijuana in Dallas
Voters at Fretz Park in Far North Dallas stressed the importance of exercising their civic duty.
Brandi Stroud, 36, said she’s learned this election cycle to embrace political differences. The political discourse “has crossed a line from being able to be civil and tolerant of everyone into something rather ugly,” Stroud said. “I don’t think that was the intention of the vote — we can be different and we can disagree but we can also respect one another.” She said she is looking for a leader who can have hard, bipartisan conversations with decorum.
Matthew Ridenour, 28, said he’s unhappy with the direction statewide leaders are pushing Texas and he felt that casting a vote in the Senate race could influence change, like safeguarding abortion rights. Ridenour, an electrician, said Allred fit what he was looking for in a candidate.
Ashley Ridenour said Proposition R, decriminalizing marijuana, brought her out to the polls.
“There’s a lot of people that have been put in jail that don’t need to for minimal charges, Black people in particular,” the 26-year-old said.
– Maggie Prosser
2:30 p.m. ‘Craziest election I’ve ever seen’
Trish Davenport wasn’t going to vote in this election. But then a friend called her this morning to say she had voted and Davenport realized she wouldn’t have any right to complain if her favored candidate didn’t win.
“This is probably the most important election,” said Davenport, 60. “This is the craziest election I’ve ever seen.”
The longtime Dallas resident has misgivings about both presidential candidates, and her views span the political spectrum. She was raised in a Catholic household, but she believes women should have access to abortion in cases of rape, incest or pregnancy complications. She believes college should be free but disagrees with student loan forgiveness programs.
Both candidates have used divisive rhetoric, she said. At the end of the day, it was the immigration system and the state of the U.S. border with Mexico that pushed Davenport to support the Republican party. On Tuesday afternoon, she cast her vote for former President Trump and incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz at Gaston Middle School in Dallas.
“It’s like the good, the bad and the evil,” she said. “You’ve got to pick your battles.”
– Lauren Caruba and Sue Ambrose
2:10 p.m. Abortion is on the ballot in 10 states. Why not Texas?
Abortion is on the ballot in 10 states today, but not Texas. Voters in seven states have already voted on abortion, siding with abortion rights in every case. So will Texas voters have the opportunity to weigh in? That’s not likely. Most of these votes have been the result of citizen-led petitions that gathered signatures and forced states — even some controlled by abortion foes — to send the issue to voters via direct ballot measures. But about half of states in the U.S., including Texas, do not allow any form of voter-led ballot measures, leaving that responsibility to the state Legislature.
If abortion did go before Texas voters, the outcome would likely be close, according to public polling. Texas bans the procedure in all cases except to protect the life of the mother, but some patients and physicians have argued the exemption is vague and confusing. Nearly half of Texas voters say the state’s abortion laws are too strict, according to a February 2024 poll by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas.
1:45 p.m. In some states, there’s an Election Day music soundtrack
There’s one way to make a long line at a polling place seem like it’s moving a bit faster: Play music. In four battleground states — Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania — the non-partisan group Joy to the Polls has DJs and performers out and about, helping voters pass the time. In Arizona this morning, voters at one location stood in line (and, yes, a few tapped their feet) to the sounds of Queen, Arrested Development, Freddie Jackson and more. Part of the group’s mantra: “You bring the vote, we bring the music!”
– Associated Press
1:25 p.m. Delays in Grapevine due to malfunctioning machine
The voting location at the Grapevine Public Library was slowed Tuesday morning after one of the center’s two controllers — the machines that print out an identifying number used to call up a voter’s ballot — was temporarily down.
Laura Oakley, the judge of the voting location, said a Tarrant County technician was dispatched to the library to address the issue, which left the center “working at 50% capacity” for about an hour.
“It was fixed very quickly,” Oakley said. “We could only have one line for a little bit.”
At around 8:30 a.m., the average wait time to cast a ballot at the library was 45 minutes, according to the county’s online portal tracking estimated wait times.
Tarrant County spokesperson William Hanna said the issue was fixed by 10 a.m. At least eight machines used to cast ballots once a voter received an identifying number from a controller were working throughout the morning.
In the morning, employees with the city’s parks and recreation department set up grills to make hamburgers and hotdogs outside the library to hand out to voters exiting the polls.
The group planned to start cooking at 10 a.m. and start handing out food at 11 a.m., but the group started early after seeing a crowd lined up to vote, said Trent Kelley, a deputy director with the parks and recreation department. The group planned to cook 300 hamburgers and 200 hotdogs. A sign reading “Parks Rec ‘24″ asked voters to show their “I voted” sticker for the food “while supplies last.”
“We’re just celebrating the elections process and everybody getting to vote,” Kelley said.
As of 12:45 p.m., with the issue now fixed, the location had an average wait time of 30 minutes, according to the portal.
– Chase Rogers
1:10 p.m. Thoughts from first-time voters
Ally Stumpf’s mom has nagged her for years to vote. Now at 26, she’s cast her first ballot at the Midlothian Conference Center.
“I finally just matured and started understanding my role in this all,” Stumpf said.
She wanted to pick a presidential candidate who cares, especially for women and their rights. On Tuesday, she voted for Kamala Harris, despite originally thinking she might vote for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. until he dropped out. She said she shared his environmental concerns. Stumpf hadn’t come prepared for the slew of other races on the ticket.
“I wish I had been a little more educated on that,” Stumpf said. She ended up leaving lots of races blank.
Demileza Landeros, 19, cast her first ballot before a college algebra course at Navarro College. She’s been excited to vote since she was 14.
“Getting to vote for the president, I think that’s a really big thing,” Landeros said as she exited the polls in a bubblegum pink bomber jacket and matching Crocs.
Donald Trump was her pick. The native Midlothian is concerned about a tax rate hike. Printed on her phone case is “GET RICH.”
Landeros’ other top priority was voting for Ted Cruz. She wants to be represented by someone who stands for the same issues she does. He reflects her beliefs against abortion, she said. After algebra, Landeros had another math class to attend.
– Arcelia Martin
12:40 Voters weigh school bond election and presidential race in Rockwall
Marlon Davis, 54, voted on his lunch break at Rockwall County Library. Davis said the two most important issues were the county’s school system and the presidential race. He voted against tax increases on the ballot. He doesn’t have children in the school system, and said he shouldn’t pay as much as parents.
“Five thousand a year? Man, come on. How much more y’all need?” he said.
Davis voted for Kamala Harris in the presidential race. He said jokes Trump made about the COVID-19 pandemic and the former president’s criminal indictments were disqualifying issues.
“The way he was handling it — he was making a joke about a lot of stuff. This is a serious matter,” he said.
Wendi Spivey, 49, said the presidential race and the county’s school system were the most important issues that brought her out to vote at the library. Spivey voted in favor of Rockwall ISD bond measures. Her child is a 4th grader at Celia Hays Elementary, and the money could go toward new air conditioning as well as maintenance and operations. She also wants the district to retain good teachers.
“Part of what that money is for is to accommodate [our] growth,” she said.
Spivey voted for Donald Trump in the presidential election. The economy was her primary motivation.
“I feel like he would do better with the economy,” she said.
– Nicholas Wooten
12:15 p.m. Poll chaplains
It won’t just be poll watchers and workers out today. A national initiative by religious leaders and organizations called Faiths United to Save Democracy is deploying hundreds of poll chaplains across the country to protect what they call “vulnerable voters.”
The group has trained 35 poll chaplains who will be stationed around Dallas, faith reporter Adrian Ashford reported.
11:50 a.m. Texas is home to one of the most watched U.S. Senate races
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic U.S. Rep Colin Allred made their final pitches to Texas voters in one of the nation’s most expensive and closely watched Senate races.
Cruz, who finds himself in another competitive contest after narrowly winning a second term in 2018, is leaning into conservative pledges for tougher border measures and attacks on policies that support transgender people, the Associated Press reported. The senator fired up supporters last week at a Plano “barn party” where the walls were covered in old-timey memorabilia. He urged voters to “keep Texas, Texas.”
Allred, who would become Texas’ first Black U.S. Senator, needs a big showing from loyal Democrats to unseat the incumbent. At Oak Cliff’s Kessler Theater on Saturday, Allred told supporters that Cruz is too small-minded and self-interested for Texas. He vowed to work across the aisle and blamed Cruz for women who suffered or died after being denied medically necessary abortions.
11:20 a.m. What Waxahachie voters are saying about immigration
Carrie Cockerham, 51, said unauthorized immigration at the border is her top issue.
“It’s terrifying. I’ve got grandchildren now,” she said. “We’ve already got crazy people around everywhere. If they want to come over, do it the right way. More people is better. I love that.”
The Waxahachie woman said she’s been voting since she turned 18 and that participating in elections is an important part of being an American.
“If you don’t vote, what right do you have to sit and gripe about it?” she said after casting her vote in Waxahachie.
Cockerham, a full-time caregiver to her mother, said she’s also unhappy about high food costs.
Larry Myers, 77, said he voted a straight Republican ticket for two primary reasons.
“The border number one. And the economy,” said Myers, who voted in Waxahachie.
Another concern, he said, was fairness in athletic competitions.
“I’m real leery with where we’re going as far as male and female sports,” he said, referring to the question of biological sex qualification.
– Kevin Krause
11:15 a.m. Where to look for clues about who’s winning the presidential race
Nobody knows how long it will take for the winner of the presidential race to be announced this time. Will election results show former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris as the winner? The race is extremely close across the seven swing states that are expected to decide the election: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
In 2020, The Associated Press declared President Joe Biden the winner four days after polls closed. But even then, the AP called North Carolina for Trump 10 days after Election Day and Georgia for Biden 16 days later after hand recounts. Here’s a peek at which states could hint at a possible winner.
– Carol Taylor
11:10 a.m. Tarrant County polling site operating without issues following overnight vandalism
Police are investigating after an Arlington sub-courthouse planned as an Election Day voting location was vandalized early Tuesday morning, a Tarrant County spokesperson confirmed. But the Tarrant County Sub-Courthouse opened on time Tuesday, and voters reported no issues or lines.
Tarrant County spokesperson William Hanna said the county was notified by Arlington Police of the vandalism at 12:38 a.m. When Arlington PD arrived on scene, they discovered that someone had thrown an object at an exterior window on the west side of the building and the words “Free Palestine” were spray-painted on a window near the broken pane.
The alleged vandalism hints at Israel’s yearlong offensive in Gaza, which was launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack. The conflict has had regional and international implications. The ongoing war has shaped political discourse in the U.S. around foreign policy. No arrests have been made, and detectives were reviewing surveillance footage Tuesday afternoon, Arlington police spokesperson Tim Ciesco said in a statement.
Tarrant County sheriff’s deputies and constables conducted a sweep and determined no one entered the building, Hanna said. County staff cleaned up the graffiti and made temporary repairs to the window. Both the sub-courthouse and the voting site opened at their scheduled time and are operating normally, Hanna said.
– Emily Brindley and Chase Rogers
10:30 a.m. Rep. Chris Turner ‘optimistic’ after stopping by polls
Texas Rep. Chris Turner (D-Grand Prairie) made a pit stop at a Mansfield Starbucks on Tuesday morning. He’d already swung by about six polling places in the area, he said, and hadn’t seen any issues or any particularly long lines.
The lack of lines also meant that it was a bit more difficult for him to chat with voters, although he said he talked to a lot of people during early voting the past couple weeks.
From those conversations, Turner said, he feels the residents of his district are excited about the idea of a Harris presidency, and also generally weary of Trump.
“I think overall most people around here are just tired of all the chaos and division that’s come with the Trump era and they’re ready to see it come to an end,” Turner said. “I think there is a hope, a quiet hope, that that’s going to end.”
Turner said he’s “optimistic” that Harris will win the presidency. But either way, Turner said, he’s already used to pushing back against the other side.
“As a Democrat in Texas, we’re used to taking on and fighting extremist Republican ideas in the Texas legislature,” Turner said. “So that’s really nothing new for us, and no doubt we’re going to have to continue to do that.”
For his own race this year, Turner said he’s feeling confident. He’s held his current seat in Texas House District 101 — which includes Arlington, Grand Prairie and Mansfield — for more than a decade.
”I’m confident we’re going to win and win convincingly,” Turner said.
His opponent is Republican Clint Burgess, a retired Tarrant County constable.
– Emily Brindley
10:25 a.m. Dallas charter amendments on the ballot
Voters in Dallas are weighing in on 17 propositions to amend the city’s charter and one to amend the city code. Three of those — S, T and U — are drawing the most attention. The propositions would make it easier for Dallas residents to sue the city in some cases, give the community power to influence whether the city manager is fired or receives pay bonuses, and mandate Dallas spend more money on police hiring, pay and benefits.
Nonprofit Dallas Hero, which gathered signatures for the propositions, says the measures would improve public safety and government transparency. But an influential coalition — including current and former elected leaders and police and firefighters associations — oppose the proposals. They argue the proposals would put the city on a path to ruin by undermining the authority of officials elected by voters, and say they are fiscally irresponsible and detrimental to city services.Here’s a rundown of the proposals.
10:05 a.m. Voters cite economy, women’s rights as top issues
Denton auto repair shop owner Clay Heldmann said he is concerned about the economy. Supply costs for his business have skyrocketed about 40% in the past six years, said Heldmann, who voted at the Denton Public Library’s north branch.
“I think that, because of some of the interest rates and stuff being so high right now, it is a little tougher for small business owners,” Heldmannn said, noting that he doesn’t “like the fact that we spend so much overseas when we can do stuff for people here.”
For Katherine Galmore, a 32-year-old in Denton, the presidential race, women’s rights and abortion were top of mind.
“The biggest thing for me is I really just don’t like Trump, in general, as a human being,” Galmore said. “I’m a Democrat in general, so I appreciate some more of the policies in general on that side.” Another key issue was women’s rights and the topic of abortion.
– Brian Womack
9:45 a.m. South Texas border districts key in fight for control of U.S. House
Just a handful of seats, or as little as one, could tip the balance in the fight for control of the U.S. House of Representatives, and three Texas races are in the thick of it. In one, will Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar survive his first election since his indictment on bribery charges this summer? It could create an opening for Republicans, who are trying to widen inroads in predominately Hispanic South Texas. Elsewhere, Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert will soon find out whether her political gamble, abruptly switching congressional districts in Colorado mid-election, will cost the GOP or reinforce its position. Read more about the fight for control of the U.S. House.
– Carol Taylor
9:30 a.m. Ellis County Republicans making early victory party plans
Walking back and forth just outside the parking lot of the Red Oak Municipal Court, Sylvia Coulson, 67, uses her left hand to hold a sign supporting Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. “VOTE REPUBLICAN.” Her right hand stays by her side until a car drives into the polling site. She shines a smile and waves. She gets plenty of thumbs up.
“It’s Texas and everybody waves,” Coulson said.
Coulson is the precinct chair for the Ellis County Republicans. If on the way out the polling site parking lot, a driver gives her a thumbs up, she walks toward the window and invites them to a victory party the county organization is hosting Tuesday night in Waxahachie. She’s encouraging residents to vote conservatively.
“We’re a red county. Red Oak is probably our most mixed area,” said Coulson, with the hood of her rain jacket pulled tightly over her head.
“I’m all about being kind. That’s my first rule.”
Coulson said abortion is her top issue.
“I believe that babies deserve to live,” she said. “That’s where I come from.”
– Kevin Krause and Arcelia Martin
9:25 a.m. Voters remember Cruz’s flight to Cancun when voting in U.S. Senate race
Brande Oliver, 48, was one of the first voters in line at the Red Oak Municipal Center, as rain trickled down shortly after 7 a.m. She said the presidential race primarily motivated her to vote, and she cast that vote for Kamala Harris.
“I do not like the state of the economy.”
Even if Trump had policies beneficial to the economy, she said she could not support him due to all the “hatred and division” he has caused.
“I can’t encourage that,” said Oliver, who works in commercial real estate.
Economic issues were foremost in her mind Tuesday. Oliver said the cost of living is too high for the average person.
“The middle class should not be struggling,” she said. “And it’s not fair.”
The Senate race also was important to her. Oliver said she did not want the incumbent, Ted Cruz, to have another term.
“Not a fan,” she said.
Oliver mentioned the controversy that erupted when Cruz was photographed at the airport, catching a flight to Cancun, as Texans were suffering frigid cold and widespread power outages.
“One thing that will always stick in my mind was the ice storm,” she said. “You can’t forget that.”
Allred was at her church, Concord, on Sunday, she said, and parishioners got a chance to ask him questions.
“We were able to talk to him one on one,” she said.
– Kevin Krause and Arcelia Martin
9:20 a.m. Some voters bemoan fraught politics
Several voters who arrived soon after the polls opened at Lakewood Elementary School in Dallas said they were unhappy with how fraught conversations around voting and politics have become.
Cedric Okogbodu, 39, said he remembers when it wasn’t “courteous” to talk about politics and religion. Back then, he said, who you voted for remained private. Now, there’s an implication that who you vote for defines who you are as a person, he said.
“It’s like, ‘I don’t like you because you voted this way,’” Okogbodu said. “I don’t feel like everything should be divisive,” he added.
Marianne Martin, a 73-year-old retired teacher, agreed.
“It seems like now you’re judged for how you vote, and that’s just wrong,” she said.
This election cycle, the state of the economy is of particular importance to Martin. Inflation and high prices, including high housing costs, are negatively affecting younger generations, she said. If she were younger, she could not afford to live in her Lakewood neighborhood.
No matter the outcome of national races, Martin said she remains optimistic.
“We have a good country,” she said. “Whoever wins, we’re going to be OK.”
– Lauren Caruba and Sue Ambrose
9 a.m. Tarrant County voters try to beat the crowds at AT&T Stadium
On a typical day, Rene Jones wakes up around noon. But on Election Day, she set her alarm for 5:45 a.m.
I don’t do early,” she said. “But today, definitely did early.”
The 46-year-old Arlington resident was among the first to vote at AT&T Stadium on Election Day. She wasn’t sure how long the process would take, but she was in and out shortly after the polling place opened at 7 a.m. Jones didn’t want to say who she voted for this year, but she said there’s a lot of things she’s concerned about politically.
“If the world is going to fluctuate, we need to be fluctuating with it,” she said. “So that we can make it better, circulate something better for our kids.”
Dallas Richard was the first person to cast a ballot at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Election Day. The 38-year-old Arlington resident hopped on the phone as she walked out of the stadium, excited to tell people that she was the first Election Day voter.
She said she got to the stadium at 6 a.m. because she wasn’t sure how long the line would be. There were about a dozen people in line when the polling place opened at 7 a.m., and Richard said the day-of voting process ended up being quick.
“I’m a huge Cowboys fan,” Richard said. “We’re not doing well this year, but it was still very, very cool to come in there and be able to vote in our stadium.”
Richard said she voted for former President Donald Trump. She likes that Trump brings about actual change, she said.
“He wants good for all of us,” Richard said.
– Emily Brindley
8:55 a.m. Political messaging — even about cats — not allowed at polls
Missy Guay, a 36-year-old in Denton, was told she couldn’t wear a sweatshirt that read “Tell Your Cat I said Hello” because political messages are not allowed. She thought it was a joke at first. But Guay had to go to the restroom and put the sweatshirt on wrong–side-out and speculated that the reason was because it could be a reference to “cat ladies,” and comments by J.D. Vance, the vice presidential candidate.
Guay was motivated by concerns about everyone’s rights, including women’s rights.
“I’m not saying that I’m for or against abortion,” Guay said. “I just think that it should be a woman’s right to decide what happens with her body.”
– Brian Womack
8:40 a.m. Human and reproductive rights top of mind for Arlington voters
Arlington residents Victoria Sacco and Madelyne Besendorfer walked out of AT&T stadium together after voting first thing Tuesday morning. The couple said they were mainly there to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris, but Sacco said she was excited to vote for Democrat Colin Allred, too, who is challenging incumbent Ted Cruz, a Republican. For both, the most important issue of this election is human rights, they said.
“We’re a gay couple, so making sure that we’re creating a place for our children to live,” Sacco said.
She added that she didn’t pay much attention to the Trump campaign this cycle.
“I think I made my decision on who I was voting for four years ago,” Sacco said.
Besendorfer, who works as a nurse, said that reproductive rights are also an important issue to her. The last few years have seen the overturning of federally enshrined abortion rights, along with stringent anti-abortion laws in several states, including Texas.
“Treating women of childbearing age is terrifying at this point,” Besendorfer said.
– Emily Brindley
8:35 a.m. Federal election monitors back off Texas plans, AG announces
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Tuesday the U.S. Department of Justice has backed off plans to monitor Texas polling and central count locations following a threat of a lawsuit.
The Justice Department announced it would send election monitors to more than two dozen states, including Texas, to watch for compliance with federal voting rights laws. But officials in Texas and Florida said they won’t allow election monitors into polling sites. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he would ask for a temporary restraining order to block the monitors and a permanent injunction on federal election monitoring in Texas. Monitors had planned to visit eight Texas counties: Atascosa, Bexar, Dallas, Frio, Harris, Hays, Palo Pinto and Waller.
8:25 a.m. Economy drives voters in Denton
The economy motivated Denton residents Rayne Kays, 42 and Aaron Kays, 39, to vote at the Denton North Branch Library.
“I don’t want another four years of what’s going on now,” Rayne said.
Border security and international affairs are also top issues for the couple, who originally supported Robert F. Kennedy Jr. but voted for former President Donald Trump following Kennedy’s endorsement of the former president.
The economy also drove Denton resident and Navy veteran Steven Duran, 69.
“Trump added 25% to the national debt,” Duran said. “He’s bankrupted every business he’s had and he almost bankrupted the United States. […] You add 25% to the national debt you’re going to cause inflation, there’s no ifs, ands or buts about it.”
Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and democracy are also top issues for Duran.
“I want to defend democracy and make sure Trump never sees the White House again,” Duran said. “He promised to suspend the Constitution several times, he promised to prosecute his political enemies several times, and I believe him. Your freedom, you will lose it or win it back today.”
The Kays agreed that today’s election will be a defining moment for the country. “I think this is one of the most important elections we’ve had in a long time,” Aaron Kays said. “Whoever wins will cause a big change.”
– Amber Gaudet
8 a.m. Dallas charter amendments
Voters in Dallas are weighing in on 17 propositions to amend the city’s charter and one to amend the city code. Three of those — s, t and u — are drawing the most attention. The propositions would make it easier for Dallas residents to sue the city in some cases, give the community power to influence whether the city manager is fired or receives pay bonuses, and mandate Dallas spend more money on police hiring, pay and benefits.
Nonprofit Dallas Hero, which gathered signatures for the propositions, says the measures would improve public safety and government transparency. But an influential coalition — including current and former elected leaders and police and firefighters associations — oppose the proposals. They argue the proposals would put the city on a path to ruin by undermining the authority of officials elected by voters, and say they are fiscally irresponsible and detrimental to city services. Here’s a rundown of the proposals.
7:30 a.m. Poll watchers will be out in force
Don’t be surprised if you see a poll watcher while voting today. Republicans have enlisted hundreds of poll watchers in Dallas County and across Texas, which they say will protect against potential election fraud. Democrats say there is no evidence of widespread cheating. Poll watchers have increased protections under legislation passed along party lines in 2021. The law makes it more difficult for election workers to remove poll watchers who have broken the law and grants them “free movement” in voting locations, prompting worries of potential intimidation of voters and election workers. Voters should know that election observers are still barred from witnessing how they vote.
7 a.m. Polls open across Texas
Polls are now open across the state.
Dallas County voters can check out our audit of roughly 450 polling places. Most voting centers have ample parking a short walk from the door, and many are accessible to mass transit. However, the condition of polling places is not uniform. For Tarrant County voters and Dallas Cowboys fans, AT&T Stadium is open today as a polling place for the first time in history.
Don’t forget to take an acceptable form of ID to vote. Also, don’t forget to leave your MAGA hat, Kamala sweatshirt or a firearm at home. They are all illegal at polling places.
Voters should not need to worry about severe weather today. After recent rains and a tornado watch on Monday, North Texans can expect clear skies and a high in the upper 60s.
And if you need a ride to a polling place, Dallas Area Rapid Transit and Trinity Metro are offering free rides all day.
6:45 a.m. Texas might not be a swing state, but it’s a reliable ATM
No one’s going to mistake solidly Republican Texas for a swing state. Even so, the state has emerged as a reliable stop for both Republicans and Democrats looking for cash. Through August, Texans donated more than $65 million combined directly to both parties’ presidential campaigns, helping to fund a frenzy of advertisements and events in swing states.
That explains why Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, as well as their vice presidential picks, Tim Walz and JD Vance, respectively, not to mention plenty of surrogates, made stops in Texas. According to OpenSecrets, which tracks campaign finance data, Texans donated $35 million to Trump and $30 million to Harris.
That doesn’t include money Texans funneled into independent super PACS that support presidential campaigns or other tight races. Super PACS are typically allowed to accept unlimited contributions, while individuals are limited to donations of $3,300.
6:25 a.m. Federal election monitors slated to visit Texas
The Justice Department says it will send election monitors to more than two dozen states, including Texas, to watch for compliance with federal voting rights laws. But officials in Texas and Florida have said they won’t allow election monitors into polling sites on Tuesday.
On Monday night, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he is asking for a temporary restraining order to block the monitors and a permanent injunction on federal election monitoring in Texas. It’s unclear if the monitors will still attempt to visit sites in eight Texas counties: Atascosa, Bexar, Dallas, Frio, Harris, Hays, Palo Pinto and Waller.
5 a.m. Tell us about your voter experience
The Dallas Morning News wants to know about your experience today at the polls and whether you encountered any issues or have questions. Did you wait a long time to vote? What was the atmosphere like at your polling location? Did you encounter any problems? Tell us about it.
5 a.m. Voter’s guide
We’ve prepared a comprehensive voter’s guide to help you make your decisions today. Readers have two options for how to use the guide.
The first option: Enter your home address in the field and click the button that says “Build My Ballot.” The guide will walk you through all of the races you are eligible to vote in.
A second option: If you would like to explore races not tied to your address, click the blue text that says “browse a list of all 163 candidates and 76 races available during this election. That will load a page where you can scroll through candidates and races.
Candidates answered questions about immigration, the economy, climate change, housing affordability, gun violence and abortion.