Source reporting: Texas Scorecard
The Texas Supreme Court has directed Galveston County to use its prior precinct boundaries for the 2026 general election, blocking maps the county adopted after this year’s primary, according to Texas Scorecard.
Texas Scorecard reported that the county approved new lines in June for commissioners court, justice of the peace and constable precincts. The county had already conducted primary elections for two commissioner positions and three justice-of-the-peace candidates under the earlier map. County officials planned to use the new boundaries in November.
A group of Democratic plaintiffs filed an emergency mandamus petition with the Texas Supreme Court on August 4. They argued that switching maps between the primary and general elections conflicted with the Texas Election Code and would create equal-protection problems for voters and potential candidates affected by staggered terms. Galveston County disputed those claims and relied in part on a recent Fifth Circuit decision addressing federal redistricting law.
According to the report, the Texas Supreme Court ruled for the plaintiffs on September 11 and ordered the county to conduct the general election using the precinct lines in place for the primary. The court concluded that Galveston County had not identified legal authority for changing the governing map during an election cycle. The opinion also emphasized that Texas counties exercise powers granted by the state Constitution or statutes, rather than inherent governmental authority.
The ruling does not permanently invalidate the county’s new districts. Texas Scorecard reported that the replacement maps are expected to take effect after the general election. The immediate consequence is that candidates and voters in November will operate under the same geographic framework used to select party nominees earlier this year.
The decision is significant for election administration across Texas because it addresses a state-law question that the report said had not previously been resolved: whether a county may change precinct boundaries between the two stages of the same election. It also separates state limits on county authority from federal constitutional rules that may permit mid-cycle redistricting in other circumstances. Counties considering similar changes now have a direct warning that timing and explicit legal authorization can determine whether a new map may be used.