Live Updates on Local, State and National Elections

After a busy early voting season, election day 2024 is finally here. Although Dallas, Denton and Tarrant County combined to accept more than 1 million early ballots between Oct. 21 and Nov. 1, polling locations across North Texas will likely be busy throughout the day until closing time at 7 p.m.

If you haven't found out by now, you can find your polling location by checking the Texas secretary of state's website, and if you're in Dallas County, check out this handy map that not only directs you to a nearby voting booth, but will tell you how long the wait is before you show up. For more information and requirements on voting in Dallas County, check out or Voter's Guide.

Check back her throughout the day for continued Election Day updates:


Updated at 9:51 p.m.

Green Party Supporters Removed From Northaven Trail Bridge

Fans of Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein and the pro-Palestine movement were reportedly asked to leave the Northaven Trail Bridge over U.S. Highway 75 this morning after Dallas police officers received several 911 calls in reference to the assembly.

Glo Vader, chair of Dallas' Texas Green Party chapter, tells the Observer that she took to the bridge this morning alongside two other young women to hang banners stating “Vote Green Party,” “Free Palestine” and “No more blue or red, vote Green instead, Dr. Stein,” in a play on Dr. Suess. The women arrived at the bridge around 7:30 a.m. and were asked to leave less than two hours later.

“[One of the officers] told us to go to Home Depot and get PVC pipe and mount [our signs] on there,” Vader said, sarcastically adding “I know [we’re] super threatening.”



Updated at 9:39 p.m.

Reaction to Allred Loss

A chorus of boos and nos just erupted at the Allred watch party in Dallas as MSNBC projected a Ted Cruz win in the race for the U.S. Senate. Former gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis of Fort Worth, a vocal Allred supporter, spoke at the event just before the result was announced.

"We're not gonna quit in this state until we believe that every person here can realize their dreams, no matter who they are, or where they come from," she said.

At the GOP party in Dallas, Benji Gershon, the president of the American Jewish Conservatives, viewed Allred's campaign as a failed effort to turn Texas blue.

"I think that Colin Allred was trying to be something he's not," he said. "He voted with Nancy Pelosi 100% of the time his first few years in office. I think he was trying to come off as a moderate and it didn't really work, and Senator Cruz has a proven and tested record."


Updated at 9:21 p.m.

Cruz Defeats Allred

BREAKING: Republican Ted Cruz wins re-election to the U.S. Senate in Texas, NBC News projects. https://t.co/h3cv2o4flq pic.twitter.com/QCRjeNm3t1

— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 6, 2024

Updated at 8:45 p.m.

Controversial Charter Amendments

Of the 18 proposed Dallas charter amendments, four of them, the ones put onto the ballot by petitions, drew the lion’s share of attention leading up to the election. Of those four, two currently have more “For” than “Against” votes, according to NBC 5 in Dallas.

Proposition R, which would decriminalize marijuana possession under 4 ounces currently has 65% voting “For” with 33% of the precincts reporting. The other controversial propositions are much closer, however.

Proposition S, which would enable residents to be able to file lawsuits against the city for not adhering to the city charter currently sits at a 51% “For” and 49% “Against.” Proposition T, which ties city manager pay to the results of a residential satisfaction survey, has 59% “For” and 41% “Against.” Proposition U, which would require the city to hire hundreds more police officers, possibly to the detriment of many other city programs and departments, currently sits at 52% “Against” and 48% “For.”

Updated at 8:15 p.m.

VanDuyne wins, Crockett dominates

Republican Beth Van Duyne will win re-election in U.S. House District 24 according to NBC News. The incumbent held 60.8% of the vote over Democratic challenger Sam Eppler, with 74% of the precincts reporting.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who faced opposition only from independent Jrmar “J.J.” Jefferson, ran away with re-election with 86.1% of the vote with 60% of precincts reporting, also according to NBC News. Since her star turn at the Democratic National Convention, Crockett has been one of the highest-profile supporters of Kamala Harris during her presidential campaign.



Updated at 8 p.m.

Cruz Pulling Ahead

At 7:57 p.m., CNN shows that Ted Cruz is ahead of Colin Allred by more than 3 percentage points with 56% of the vote accounted for. CNN reports that Cruz has garnered 50.9% of the vote to Allred's 47.1%


Updated at 7:45 p.m.

Getting Started at Allred's Party

Observer Editor-in-Chief Patrick Williams is at the Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas tonight for Colin Allred's election watch party. As the early returns show a tight race, it seems the fury of election night has not quite hit the revived honky-tonk just yet.

As Allred supporters arrive in a steady steam to be checked by friendly security with wands, eyes aren't yet focused on screens broadcasting results or cellphones with updates. There aren't a lot of smiling faces yet, but it’s early. Asked how he was feeling, longtime Democratic voter William Hornbuckle, 45, said: “Oh my God… My No. 1 feeling is concerned. I don’t think there’s ever been an election like this.”


Updated at 7:30 p.m.

The GOP says R.I.P. to P'nut

Our reporter Emma Ruby is in Dallas tonight at the Dallas County Republican election watch party. Cheers erupted throughout TK's Comedy when a large screen beaming Fox News reported early returns showing Ted Cruz slightly ahead of Colin Allred. One attendee there, however, had someone else on his mind. Decked out in an American flag-style suit with the requisite red MAGA cap, Roger Phillips explained that his t-shirt featuring a squirrel on the front was in honor of P'nut the Squirrel, the unlikely right-wing celebrity that was euthanized recently in New York City after being found living illegally in an apartment.

“I’m wearing this in memory of P'nut after all those bastards killed her," Phillips said. "That’s what the liberals do, they kill people. Unless they’re on death row.”


Updated at 7 p.m.

Paxton Parties With Trump

Texas Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton has been one of former President Donald Trump's most vocal supporters, and tonight, he is supporting Trump in Florida at Trump's Mar-a-Lago compound, along with Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.

Great to be here at Mar-a-Lago tonight with @MillerForTexas to support @realDonaldTrump for the win! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/nsrBhnQsTK

— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) November 6, 2024

Updated at 6:54 p.m.

Colin Allred Greets Dallas Voters

Democratic Senate candidate Colin Allred just posted pictures to X showing him greeting voters today in the North Dallas neighborhood of Hamilton Park. It was here, Allred wrote, "where it all began."

My favorite Election Day tradition is greeting voters in Hamilton Park in the district where it all began. If you're still in line to vote, stay in line! pic.twitter.com/lWhtoesxEZ

— Colin Allred (@ColinAllredTX) November 6, 2024

Updated at 6:06 p.m.

First Presidential Projections

With many East Coast polls closing at 6 p.m. Central, the Associated Press has hit the ground running in projecting winners in a few states. As of 6:06 p.m. the AP has called Indiana (11 electoral votes) and Kentucky (8 electoral votes) for Donald Trump; Vermont, with 3 electoral votes, has been called for Kamala Harris. These projections mean that Trump leads Harris 19-3 in electoral votes. A total of 270 electoral votes is needed to win the presidency.


Updated at 5:43 p.m.

Voting Wait Times in Dallas

According to the latest reports on the Dallas County Vote Centers map, roughly 30 of 455 polling locations in Dallas County were reporting wait times of at least 35 minutes at 5:38 p.m. Some sites reported wait times of well over an hour. Remember, Dallas County has countywide voting, so you can use the map to choose a polling site that does not have a long wait time. Find a location with a green dot on the map and go there.


Updated at 5:40 p.m.

Big Local School Dollars

As is often the case this time of year, some North Texas school districts are asking voters to approve bond packages for massive amounts of dollars. According to NBC 5, the school districts in Aubrey, Celina, Coppell, Frisco and Grapevine-Colleyville are among those looking to raise taxes in their areas. Allen ISD, Birdville, ISD, Highland Park ISD and Sunnyvale ISD are all asking for bond money.

NBC 5’s education reporter Wayne Carter discusses some of the issues the school districts in question are facing in this report from earlier today.


Updated at 5 p.m.

Where Will Allred and Cruz Party or Concede Tonight?

Incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz will host a party tonight at the Marriott Marquis in Houston at 7 p.m.

After knocking on Dallas doors and visiting a local phone bank this morning, Democrat challenger Colin Allred will gather with supporters at the Longhorn Ballroom on Corinth Street at 7 p.m.


Updated at 4:20 p.m.

The Students Speak

Earlier this year pro-Palestine protests blazed across a number of American college campuses where students marched and formed encampments to help spread their message. On May 1, students at UT Dallas filled the Richardson campus to implore the University of Texas system to divest from companies that manufacture weapons used by Israel.

Arrests were made and academic careers were threatened in the weeks and months that followed. Even the school’s student newspaper staff went on strike after its editor-in-chief, Gregorio Olivares Gutierrez, was removed by school administration.

Olivares Gutierrez chimed in with us earlier today about how some students at UT Dallas view the issues of this election (see the update from 1:25 p.m.), and here, he provides us with more thoughts from his classmates on how this momentous election is being viewed on campus.

Paula Nwosu, Senior
“I feel obligated to vote, I am proud to be able to exercise my right to vote. The voting centers are on the [UT Dallas] campus, so it is really accessible.”

“I haven’t exactly felt represented this cycle. I know that there have been so many different feelings with the chaos leading up to this election, so I was a bit anxious about coming out to vote but I am happy that I did.”

Matthew Hubka, Freshman
“I haven’t really thought too much about the election. Obviously it is an important one, but paying attention to the specifics doesn’t really impact me so I won’t worry myself about it.”

“I came out to vote today because I kept hearing how other people were voting and I thought to myself that if these idiots are voting then I have to vote against them.”

“I don’t think I will have any impact today whatsoever. I am glad I came out today to vote just to say that I did vote.”

Emily Hernandez, Senior
“I came out to do my civic duty today. I am really worried about this election and would like for it to go the way I voted.”

“I find the issue of abortion to be really important, I very much don’t agree with the Trump tariff proposal. I think that the tariff would not be good for the economy.”

“I think my vote today is just another drop in the bucket, but the bucket needs to be filled.”


Updated at 3:55 p.m.

He’s Baaaack

In a pairing we admit we didn’t predict, but certainly should have seen coming all the way from here to Kenosha, Wisconsin, Kyle Rittenhouse is in North Texas today, helping to encourage voters to choose Arlington Rep. Tony Tinderholt.

That a lightning rod such as Rittenhouse, who rose to infamy when he shot and killed two men during 2020 protests following the police killing of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, is stumping on behalf of Tinderholt, a controversial figure himself, shouldn't be surprising perhaps. Since his election in 2014, the far-right politician has repeatedly found himself entangled in public battles with not only Democrats but fellow Republicans, thanks to many of his extreme views, although a 2017 bill he introduced that would criminalize abortion doesn't seem too far off from where the state stands on the matter now, following the Dobbs decision of 2022.

In a video posted to his X, Rittenhouse says he’s “electioneering” for Donald Trump and J.D. Vance as well as Tinderholt. Tinderholt faces Democrat Denise Wilkerson, a local attorney, in District 94.

I’m at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, with @blakekresses! Stop by to say hello and cast your vote for DJT! pic.twitter.com/dlui1McTJV

— Kyle Rittenhouse (@ThisIsKyleR) November 5, 2024

Updated at 3:30 p.m.

Election Night Helpful Hints

As much as we want answers now, during the day, we know that we must wait until after the first few polls close, at the very earliest, to get any sort of concrete info on the races on today’s ballot. The New York Times has a handy-dandy map tool showing the poll closing times for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. By the time 8 p.m. local time rolls around, the vast majority of states’ polls will have closed which means folks like CNN’s John King and MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki can get all kinds of crazy with their massive touchscreen maps.

Also, again courtesy of The New York Times today, if you’re curious about what happens should there be a tie in the Electoral College (yes, it is possible), you can check that out here.


Updated at 3:05 p.m.

Out and About With the Observer

Our social media editor visited a few local polling locations today and spoke with volunteers and supporters of different candidates including both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

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Updated at 2:51 p.m.

Voting For the First Time

Local man Jack Gowan admits he let early voting “pass him by,” but he made a point to cast his first ever ballot today at Highland Park Middle School.

“This is kind of a pivotal election, it isn’t one to miss, so at the very least I could do my part,” said Gowan, who told us he voted for both Republicans and Democrats today. He’s spent the last four years wishing he had done things differently when Joe Biden ran against Donald Trump.

“I’m not usually a voter, personally. I had the chance to vote in the 2020 election and I passed over that,” Gowan said. “You hear a million times that people regret not voting and it was kind of the same case.”

Gowan acknowledged that fear, at least to a certain extent, motivated his efforts to make it to the voting booth this time around.

“Controversy around abortion. It’s kind of scary, in my opinion, taking these rights away from women, and it’s kind of a stepping stone in my mind. Like if they can do this, what could they do next?” - Reporting by Emma Ruby.


Updated at 2:40 p.m.

Snail Mail Voting Woes

The Texas Tribune reports today that some Texans are still waiting for their mail-in ballots to arrive. In order to be eligible for mail-in ballots in Texas, one must be 65 years or older, be sick or disabled, be out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting, be expected to give birth within three weeks of Election Day or be incarcerated.

The Texas Tribune spoke to several people, including college students attending school in other states, who have yet to receive ballots they were eligible for even though the secretary of state’s ballot tracker indicated the ballots had been sent their ways.

“Sarah Xiyi Che, supervising attorney for the voting rights program at the Texas Civil Rights Project, said there are issues with mailed ballots arriving too late during every election cycle,” the report reads. “It is unclear how many people who applied for mail-in ballots have not received them this election cycle.”


Updated at 2:30 p.m.

Dallas County Vote Total

According to Dallas County Elections, more than 107,000 people have voted in Dallas County today as of 2 p.m.



Updated at 2:15 p.m.

Voting Rush Hours Could Slow Down Voters

Dallas Redditors noted problematic wait times at several Dallas County polling places this morning, and Wi-Fi issues could be the culprit. One user claimed that it took over 40 minutes to verify a single individual’s ID at the Chapel of the Holy Cross voting location on Cole Avenue, and another stated they expected lines to start forming at Lakewood Elementary after the school's Wi-Fi went down.

While voting machines are not hooked up to the internet, the county’s electronic poll books are. The books are used to verify a voter’s identity and alert other polling stations that the voter has been accounted for. A Dallas County Elections Department spokesperson tells us that while the county may have had an issue or two with Wi-Fi connectivity, the books also typically operate slower during peak voting times like early morning and the lunch rush.

All 455 Dallas County voting locations utilize the e-poll books to send data back and forth over the course of Election Day, so a hiccup or two is expected, we’re told.

“Whenever we see a whole bunch of traffic on our e-poll books, they do slow down,” the spokesperson said. “It shouldn't stop anyone [from voting] … but the check-in process [could] be a little bit slower.” - Reporting by Emma Ruby


Updated at 1:50 p.m.

Trouble at the U.S. Capitol

A little more than an hour ago, the U.S. Capitol Police posted a note to X stating they “just arrested a man who was stopped during our screening process at the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC). The man smelled like fuel, had a torch & a flare gun.” A Fox News correspondent added on X that the suspect, in his late 20s, had a 25-page manifesto he had apparently intended to deliver to Congress that included anti-government and anti-Israel language. Tours of the Capitol have been closed for the day.


Updated at 1:25 p.m.

UT Dallas Students Vote and Debate

Hundreds of students have come out to vote in Dallas County and Collin County at UT Dallas which is home to two voting centers. Lines at each have consistently been above 50 people in length with wait times of 20-30 minutes. The community members who have come out to vote have emphasized the important role they believe voting plays within the American political system and its importance as a “civic duty.”

“I think my vote today is just another drop in the bucket, but the bucket needs to be filled,” Emily Hernandez, computer science senior, said.

Women’s rights and abortion rights were the primary issues voters said brought them to the polls at UT Dallas today. Animation and games freshman Ana Gamez said that she thought that a lot of people in her generation were not using their voices, and that it was important to her to vote democrat to protect what she considered essential rights.

Voters also raised concerns about the ongoing crisis in Gaza. Senior neuroscience major Nabeeha Khan said that this was her first election and that the humanitarian crisis stood at the top of her list of issues because she could not ethically support the U.S.’s funding of this conflict.

“As an American born citizen, funding a war like this is not a value I grew up with,” Khan said.

Grayson Hawk, an online debater, spent his morning outside of the Collin County polling location with a sign that read “IF YOU VOTE FOR TRUMP YOU'RE EITHER 1) STUPID or 2) RACIST. PROVE ME WRONG.” Hawk said that he voted for the Democratic ticket last week he was annoyed by a man demonstrating in support for Trump.

“When I went to vote last week, I was met by a man waving a big old Trump flag right in my face as I went into the line,” Hawk said. “He went up to me and said 'You know today is international pirates day?’ I said ‘huh?’ and he said ‘Vote RRR.’ And I said, ‘oh that is annoying.’ So after I voted I went outside and just pestered the guy for 30 minutes and it was super fun.” - Reporting by Gregorio Olivares Gutierrez

Updated at 1 p.m.

Polling Site Vandalism

Ten minutes after midnight Tuesday morning, Arlington police discovered vandalism at the Tarrant County Sub-Courthouse: a damaged window with "Free Palestine" spray painted on a separate window nearby. Photographer Nathan Hunsinger saw no remaining damage when at the polling location at approximately noon today.


Updated at 12:35 p.m.

Paxton Does Not Condemn Election Violence

KUT’s Lauren McGaughy reports that Texas Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton is not one of the many state attorneys general to sign a letter condemning potential election violence as well as encouraging a peaceful transition of power. Paxton has made national news today thanks to his opposition to allowing federal agents to closely monitor state polling sites.

McGaughy notes that “Paxton has a fraught relationship with the organization that issued the letter, the National Association of Attorneys General, or NAAG. The organization bills itself as a nonpartisan group that encourages collaboration among state attorneys general.”


Updated at 12:04 p.m.

National Voting Difficulty

News of voting troubles in other parts of the country have emerged, with the Georgia secretary of state saying that “non-credible” bomb threats originating from Russia were made against Atlanta-area polling locations. Also, in Pennsylvania, software malfunctions have slowed voting and led officials to extend polling times for tonight.


Updated at 11:50 a.m.

Big Dallas County Vote Totals

Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins posted on X that “as of 11am today, 65,450 in-person ballots have been cast.”



Updated at 11:23 a.m.

Current Dallas County Voting Wait Times

Dallas County allows countywide voting, so anyone registered to vote in Dallas County can choose any polling location in the as opposed to having to cast their ballots in one particular precinct. Just in time for your lunch break, check out the Dallas County Vote Center Finder to get not only the addresses of any of the 455 polling locations in the county, but also the current wait times for each.

As of a few minutes ago, 20 or so locations were reporting lines of more than 30 minutes, which means the overwhelming majority of precincts indicate either no lines, or very short wait times.


Updated at 11:18 a.m.

Poll Parrot

Observer news reporter Emma Ruby checked in to let us know there’s a parrot going for a ride on a remote control truck in West Dallas. This is the kind of gold you can expect today. Keep checking in.


Updated at 11:00 a.m.

West Dallas Voting on the Issues

At the Anita Martinez Recreation Center in West Dallas, a pair of voters represented a wide range of concerns that brought them to the polls today, even if one of them needed a bit of a push to get started.

“My mother woke me up at 6 a.m. and said ‘Go vote.’ So I’m up,” said Brittany Rainwater, who told us that the economy and healthcare are the issues most pressing for her.

“It’s pretty high for us to buy groceries right now,” Rainwater said. “I’m a single parent just trying to make it in life.”

Voters were moving through the line in the West Dallas polling site in about 35 minutes. Jewel Coleman, who told us she voted for Kamala Harris, at least in part, due to her stance on abortion, likes the pageantry of voting on Election Day and takes the privilege seriously.

“This election has been a whirlwind,” Coleman said. “My ancestors fought to vote. They were gunned down and hosed down, but they marched to be able to have the right to vote so the least I can do with my freedom and my time is come out to vote.” — Emma Ruby, reporting.



Updated at 10:25 a.m.

Jan 6. Hero?

As we noted in our early voting preview, three specific proposed amendments seek to drastically shake up the way the city governs and spends its money. "Although the HERO amendments make up only three of the 18 propositions on the ballot, they’ve wrangled the lion’s share of attention thanks primarily to Proposition U," the Observer article reads. "With its sights set on the Dallas police, Proposition U would require the DPD to keep a minimum of 4,000 officers on staff at all times, about 900 more than it has now, while requiring 50% of all new city revenue to go to the police and fire department pensions."

Landing on the ballot thanks to the efforts of an activist group called Dallas HERO, which is backed by conservative super donor billionaire Monty Bennett, propositions S, T and U are opposed by Republicans including Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and Democrats such as former Mayor Ron Kirk and city council member Adam Bazaldua, not to mention the recently retired Dallas police chief Eddie Garcia.

Late Monday night, D Magazine reported that Pete Marocco, the executive director for Dallas HERO, along with his wife, have been identified by a watchdog group as a couple who entered the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. Marocco did not confirm or deny his presence in Washington D.C. that day to D, instead labeling the report as a politically motivated hit job.


Updated at 9:30 a.m.

Dallas County "Live Ballot Stream"

It's not quite as exciting as it sounds, but given the heightened scrutiny on election integrity, it's worth noting that you can easily view a live stream of where Dallas County ballots are stored. As explained on the Dallas County elections website,  "the Texas Election Code requires the general custodian of election records in a county with a population over 100,000 to implement a video surveillance system that retains a record of all areas containing voted ballots from the time that the ballots are delivered to the central counting station (CCS), early voting ballot board (EVBB), or signature verification committee (SVC) until the local canvass of election results. The video recording must also be made available as a livestream during that timeframe."



Updated at 8:50 a.m.

Ken Paxton Makes Moves

Texas Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton has been busy with election-related filings this week. The AG announced on Monday that he will deploy a so-called "election day rapid response legal team" to all major counties to "monitor day-of election activity and address litigation arising from the election, as necessary." Since the 2020 general election, Paxton has been one of the loudest voices in the nation fighting on behalf of Trump and his baseless claims that the last presidential election was stolen from him.

On Tuesday morning, Paxton announced that "the U.S. Department of Justice agreed last night not to enter Texas polling and central count locations or otherwise interfere with the administration of Texas elections." The decision came after the DOJ informed the state that it would deploy federal election monitors to Texas counties, including Dallas, Bexar, Harris and more.