The Dallas County Republican Party is backing away from plans to hand count ballots in the March primary, saying it could not recruit enough volunteers to carry out the effort.
The decision comes weeks after party leaders announced the plan and as early voting preparations are already underway in North Texas.
Party officials say the hand-count proposal was intended as a transparency measure, but the logistics quickly became a challenge. Hand counting would have required a large, trained volunteer force to review ballots within tight legal deadlines, a hurdle the local party ultimately could not clear.
The move also follows national attention after President Donald Trump publicly praised the Dallas County GOP for its initial plan to hand count ballots. While the proposal drew applause from some election skeptics, county election officials and voting experts warned that hand counts are time-consuming, costly, and already allowed under Texas law only in limited circumstances.
Dallas County elections for the March primary will now proceed using standard tabulation methods, as required under state law. Election administrators say those systems include audits and safeguards designed to verify results and ensure accuracy.
Texas law allows political parties to observe elections and request recounts under specific conditions, but routine hand counting of all ballots is not standard practice. With the volunteer shortfall, the Dallas County GOP says it will instead focus on poll watchers and voter outreach efforts ahead of primary day.