The Texas Supreme Court ruled that Galveston County cannot use its newly approved 2026precinct boundaries for the November general election. In theSept. 11 opinion,the court states the county cannot "change the lines applicable to an election after the election has begun."
The new boundaries, which affect precincts for county commissioners, constables and justices of the peace, were redrawn and approved on June 29— between the March primary election and the November general election. County officials made the maps effective immediately.
A Galveston County constable and two county residents filed an emergency petition asking the Texas Supreme Court to block the new precinct boundaries so they couldn't be used in the November election. The plaintiffs argued the change wasn’t fair to voters or potential candidates whose precincts changed mid-election year.
The court instructed the county to use the same precinct maps from the March 2026 primary election in the upcoming November election and only conduct a general election for offices where a primary election was held. However, Sarah Chen, an attorney at the Texas Civil Rights Project, said nothing prevents the County from using the map after the general election.
Galveston County Judge Mark Henry previously told Houston Public Media that the new map was designed to improve judicial function for the justices of the peace, create opportunities for fiscal efficiencies within the county government and enhance the likelihood of Republican victories in the area.