The Texas Supreme Court has refused to block Galveston County's redrawn precinct maps, but the legal fight over which candidates appear on League City voters' ballots this November is far from settled.
The court on Friday, Aug. 14, denied an emergency petition challenging the county's new precinct boundaries without ruling on whether the map is legal. A second emergency petition has already been filed in a lower court, attorney Bernadette Reyes of the UCLA Voting Rights Project confirmed to ABC13 on Monday, Aug. 17.
The timeline is tight. Ballots for the Nov. 3 general election need to be printed soon.
"The ballots are probably, if they're not printed, they're about to be printed. So the time window here to make a decision is very quick," University of Houston political science lecturer Nancy Sims told ABC13.
What the maps change for League City
The Galveston County Commissioners Court voted 5-0 on June 29 to redraw boundaries for commissioner, constable and justice of the peace precincts. The new lines expand Precinct 3 northward toward League City and Friendswood, shifting constable and JP representation from the county's southeast to the north.
As we reported Aug. 7, the changes could alter which candidates appear on League City-area ballots. Because the county uses staggered elections, some residents who voted in the March 2026 primary have now been moved to a precinct with no election this year, according to the Houston Chronicle. Those voters would not cast a ballot in a county precinct race until 2028.
Under the new map, JP Billy Williams, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for Precinct 3, will now run in the general election for JP of Precinct 4. JP Kathleen McCumber, a Republican whose Precinct 4 seat was not up this cycle, will finish the last two years of her term as JP of Precinct 3.
The court's non-ruling
The Texas Supreme Court's written order stated the petition "is denied without prejudice and without regard to the merits of Relators' arguments," adding that the matter "should first be presented to a lower court," according to Democracy Docket. The "without prejudice" language means the challengers can refile after seeking relief at a lower level.
The original petition was filed Aug. 4 by Precinct 3 Constable Derreck Rose and county residents Wilma Green and Diane Merchant. Their legal team, the Campaign Legal Center and UCLA Voting Rights Project, argued the mid-cycle redistricting violates equal protection and the Texas Election Code.
Galveston County responded that the Texas Constitution "expressly authorizes precinct redivision 'from time to time'" and that no statute restricts the timing.
County Judge Mark Henry said at the June 29 meeting that he ran on a promise of fiscal conservatism and turning Galveston County Republican, and the new map accomplishes that, according to Houston Public Media.
What comes next
Reyes confirmed a new emergency petition has been filed, though the specific lower court receiving it has not been publicly identified. The case also runs parallel to the federal Petteway redistricting lawsuit, where U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown on July 28 denied the county's motion to dismiss, keeping intentional discrimination claims alive.
The next hard deadline: ballots must be finalized ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
