Galveston voters seek Texas Supreme Court order to halt new precinct map

Three Galveston County voters have filed an emergency petition asking the Texas Supreme Court to stop the county from using its newly adopted 2026 precinct boundaries for the upcoming November election.

In June, Galveston County’s Commissioners Court approved a new precinct map for 2026, redefining boundaries for commissioners, justices of the peace and constables. Constable-elect Dereck Rose, along with registered voters Wilma Green and Diane Merchant, have filed an emergency writ of mandamus with the Texas Supreme Court to block the map’s implementation for the November ballot. Their filing alleges the court’s justification - a vague “desire” to redraw lines - lacks legal basis and breaches equal-protection rights by preventing voters from running or voting in primaries for offices on the November ticket.

The petitioners cite prior federal litigation that found the 2021 map intentionally discriminated against Black and Latino voters, asserting the new map is substantially similar. County attorney Joseph Nixon responded that the map was drawn for partisan reasons, not racial ones, and labeled the lawsuit a “desperate ploy.” The Supreme Court has not yet ruled, and Galveston County must submit its response by Monday, Aug. 10.