WFAA-TV

Long lines of voters snaked around a polling place in DeSoto 45 minutes after the polls closed Tuesday night.

12:08a Hillary Rodham Clinton has won the Democratic primary in Texas.
- The Associated Press

11:54p A Clinton campaign memo released Monday by Lyn Utrecht, Clinton's campaign counsel, said supporters "flooded" a campaign legal hotline with complaints of "irregularities" and "voter intimidation" by the Obama campaign.

The memo listed three specific accusations that included, "Irregularities: Prematurely Taking Precinct Convention Packets by Obama Campaign." Utrecht wrote that callers from precincts across Texas complained that caucus packets were illegally taken. Allegedly 205 of those calls were made from Dallas.

The second accusation listed was "Voter Intimidation: Lock-out of Clinton caucus goers by Obama Campaign. The memo claimed Clinton voters said they were locked out of several caucuses. Allegedly 4,401 of those call came from Dallas.

The third listed compaint read, "There are numerous instances of Obama supporters filing out precinct convention sign-in sheets during the day and submitting them as completed vote totals at caucus. This is expressly against the rules."
- Marjorie Owens, WFAA.com

11:15p Democrat Glenn Melancon won the District 4 primary election.

After Tuesday night's victory, Melancon will face Rockwall Republican Representative Ralph Hall in November.

Melancon lives in Sherman and is a history professor at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Hall has been the incumbent in the district for 28 years. The district takes in counties in the northeast corner of Texas.
- The Associated Press

10:45p Barack Obama suffered a setback Tuesday in his efforts to drive rival Hillary Rodham Clinton out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, but claimed the delegate math still is on his side.

"We know this: No matter what happens tonight we have nearly the same delegate lead as we did this morning and we are on our way to winning this nomination," Obama told supporters after Clinton broke the Illinois senator's winning streak.
- The Associated Press

10:30p While three Democratic candidates take on incumbent Lupe Valdez for Dallas County Sheriff, as of now, she has a lead with 50.5 percent. It's not enough for her to claim victory. It could turn into a runoff, or it could go higher, which is what those with her campaign say will happen.

She has overcome an enormous amount of adversity. She has had run of luck over the last four years in terms of jail complications and has had some bad publicity. A year ago, whispers from those in the Democratic party hinted that they were looking for some to run against her in the primary. She has overcome that. And tonight she is very happy with her numbers.

"We're not calling any success yet until we get to the point we need to be," she said. "Everybody remembers Florida several years ago. So, nobody is proclaiming anything until we get the numbers that we need."
- Brett Shipp, WFAA-TV's reporter at Lupe Valdez watch location in Dallas

10:25p We have talked to two folks here in San Antonio, and one of those was the former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk on the outlook for Obama probably taking the popular vote. We also talked to Rev. Jesse Jackson on the open question of whether the Democrats will be able to come together with whomever is the nominee.

"You haven't had anybody care or attend the caucuses tragically in 15 or 20 years," Kirk said. "Well, that's changed tonight. So, hopefully, rather than it being a death-nail for it, it will give us a chance to educate new voters about. Breathe some life, frankly, into the Democratic party."

"There will be a winner and a loser, and they must embrace..." Jackson said. "That did not happen in 1968 with Johnson and Humphrey. It enabled Nixon to win. It did not happen with Kennedy and Carter in 1980. It enabled Reagan to win. And so, when all of this is over, there must be a commitment to one big-tent movement. Because this is really between Clinton and Barack, this is the playoff game. The Super Bowl."
- Brad Watson, WFAA-TV's reporter at Barack Obama's watch site in San Antonio

10:16p Clinton takes the stage to a crowd chanting "Hillary!" in Ohio as she declares victory in the state's Democratic presidential primary.

"For everyone here in Ohio and across America who has ever been counted out but refused to be knocked out, for everyone who has stumbled but stood right back up, for everyone who works hard and never gives up - this one is for you," she said.
- Marjorie Owens, WFAA.com

10:05p Literally thousands of people showed up at a Duncanville school to vote in five precincts. By the times the polls closed at 7 p.m., lines were so long, they went until you couldn't visually see an end.

The process at the site was extremely orderly.

"It's worth it to get my vote in," said one Obama supporter.

I've talked to people at polling sites from all over North Texas, from Carrollton to Skyline High School to Mesquite, lots of them are reporting thousand and thousands of people. It's a little disorganized, or maybe a lot actually, since no one anticipated this many people.
- Gary Reaves, WFAA-TV in Duncaville

10:03p The last ballot in far North Dallas wasn't cast until close to 9 p.m. after a record number of voters overwhelmed the polling site.

Caucusing is just underway at the Carrollton location now at Frankford and Marsh. The precinct judge says the location usually sees nearly 300 people, but this time more than four times that number showed up. The judge said in all, 1,300 voters showed up.

Several voters said they waited over two hours to cast their vote, which is not to mention those who waited to participate in the caucus.
- Jason Whiitely, WFAA-TV

10:01p How quickly things change. The huge crowd of 7,000 people that came to Glen Oaks Elementary in McKinney to caucus Tuesday night has now dwindled down to just a handful, and not everyone left happy. So many people showed up for the caucus the parking lot overflowed. People parked as far as a half-mile away. Then it got so crowded inside the school that two of the precincts inside the school were forced to go outside.

"I mean it's cold, you know," said one voter as he stood outside. "I mean, it's Texas. A big state like this, and there is no organization."

About a dozen voters were turned away from the regular voting line, but that was because most of those voters arrived after 7 p.m.

One officer said it was a situation where some people dropped their wives off. As the women stood in line, they parked far away, and by the time they got back, they couldn't join the line because the polls had closed.
- Steve Stoler, WFAA-TV in Collin County

10p Clinton and Obama are literally in a dead-heat race in Texas with both holding 50 percent of the votes. With 25 percent of the precincts reporting, Clinton has a slight lead over Obama with an 8,000-vote lead.
- WFAA-TV

9:53 ABC makes a projection that Hillary Clinton will take Ohio. As of now, she has 53 percent of the votes.
- ABC News

9:41p While Republican Ron Paul didn't get many votes for president in his home state, but he won the primary nomination for his Houston-area congressional seat.
- The Associated Press

9:21p “We’ve had such a huge crowd here. We didn’t get through until voting until 8 p.m. It’s unbelievable,” Jesse Lopez, a former precinct chair who was trying to lend a hand and help restore order at Charles Gill Elementary.

Mr. Lopez said the caucus process was just getting started at 9:20 p.m.

“I hope we can have this done in an hour or so,” he said. “But I don’t know.”

Dallas police dispatchers said officers have been called to help with crowd control at several precincts across the city, but no major incidents have been reported.
- Dallasnews.com

9:20p And What Is Ralph Nader Up to Tonight? Long-shot presidential candidate Ralph Nader and an aide came into the Amtrak Acela lounge at NYC's Penn Station tonight, waiting to board an 8:15pm train to Washington, DC.

The aide suggested they sit in an area where CNN is on and carrying primary voting analysis and results.

Nader shook his head and indicated he wasn't at all interested. He opted for a seat in the one corner of the room without a view of the TV.

Asked why he wasn't watching the primary results, Nader said, "Well, they can't be showing results yet, can they? How could they be showing results?"

Told ABC News had called Vermont for Obama and Ohio for McCain, Nader replied (smiling and somewhat sarcastically), "Well, those weren't exactly tough calls."

Then he said, "I guess I'm only interested in the big finale... This is just a sideshow."
- Jay Shaylor, ABC News

9p Republican Rep. Ralph Hall bested four other candidates to win his primary election.

Even with his Tuesday night win, Hall still must win in November to keep a seat he has held for 28 years.

The Rockwall Republican switched parties in 2004 after his district was redrawn to benefit a GOP candidate. But even as a Democrat he had often voted with Republicans.

His district takes in county in the northeast corner of Texas.
- The Associated Press

8:56p As of this time in the Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton is leading Ohio with 24 percent of the votes counted. While she has 59 percent of the vote, Obama has 39 percent and Edwards has two percent.

In Texas, Obama is in the lead by a narrow margin with 51 percent. Clinton has 48 percent and Edwards one percent.
- WFAA.com

8:55 John McCain took the stage in Dallas to give his victory speech after he clinches the Republican presidential nomination.

Gov. Rick Perry watched from the audience at the Fairmont Hotel as McCain said his campaign will be more than another tired debate, but will address the concerns of Americans.

“I am very pleased to note that tonight, my friends, we have won enough delegates to claim with confidence, humility and a sense of great responsibility that I will be the Republican nominee for President of the United States,” McCain said.

"I understand the responsibilities I incur with this nomination, and I give you my word, I will not evade or slight a single one," he said.
- WFAA.com and the Associated Press

8:45p Hillary Rodham Clinton showed renewed strength Tuesday in Texas and Ohio among whites and working class voters who had begun deserting her in recent contests, early results from exit polls in the states showed.

Six in 10 whites were backing Clinton in Ohio and almost that many were behind her in Texas. Obama had edged her among those voters in recent primaries in Virginia and Wisconsin in a campaign that has seen some racial polarization since January, following sharp exchanges between the two campaigns.

Hispanics were voting in force in Texas, making up almost a third of voters - up from the quarter they comprised in the state's Democratic primary in 2004. Almost two thirds of them were supporting Clinton, their usual margin for her. They made up negligible numbers in Ohio.

In both states, more than eight in 10 blacks were backing Obama, the usual margin they have shown in most contests. They comprised about one in five voters in both states.
- The Associated Press

8:36p Hillary Rodman Clinton has won the Democratic primary in Rhode Island.
- The Associated Press

8:35p Two-term state Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Paul Womack beat challenger Robert Francis in the Republican primary.

The 60-year-old Womack has held his Place 4 seat on the court since 1997. Francis posted a challenge after spending the past 11 years as a trial judge in Dallas.

Womack will face Democratic challenger J.R. Molina in the general election.
- The Associated Press

8:22p GOP candidate Mike Huckabee concedes the nomination to John McCain. He says it's now time to act as "a united party." "What a journey," he said of his run for presidential candidacy. "What a journey of a lifetime." The former Arkansas governor is withdrawing after John McCain clinched the nomination by getting 1,191 delegates.
- WFAA.com and the Associated Press

8:14p U.S. Senator John Cornyn is one step closer to keeping his seat in Washington. Cornyn has won the GOP primary.
- The Associated Press

8:04p McCain win Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont and Ohio, while Ohio is too close too call for the Democrats.
- ABC News

8p John McCain has clinched the Republican presidential nomination. The Associated Press count of delegates showed McCain surpassing the requisite 1,191 needed to win the party's nod. The victory was redemption for the four-term Arizona senator. He sought the nomination in 2000 but lost to George W. Bush.
- The Associated Press

7:55p Caucus participation at Daggett Elementary in Fort Worth is something that hasn't been seen in awhile, said officials at the polling site. The location is the polling site for voters from six precincts. Those at the site said hundreds of people crowded the school's gym, cafeteria and other areas throughout the school to participate in the caucuses. One person working the site said while hundred have showed up, typically there are usually only three to four people participating.
- Aaron Chimbel, WFAA-com's MoJo

7:37p At Fire Station No. 17 in Old East Dallas, there was a large group of people waiting to participate in the party convention process.

“They’ve divided the Obama from the Clinton people,” said Mariana Greene, an editor at The Dallas Morning News. “The Obama people are out the building and are down the block and around the corner onto Skillman.”
- Dallasnews.com

7:31p Cars also filled the streets around W.W. Bushman Elementary in Oak Cliff.

“I can’t even wait to see where the line ends behind me,” said Lisa Biggins, an administrative assistant at The Dallas Morning News. “It’s unbelievable.”
- Dallasnews.com

7:25p Reports of voting chaos have been reported at Skyline High School in Dallas and other parts of North Texas. At Skyline, election officials reportedly closed the doors even though there was a line of voters waiting outside to vote.
- WFAA.com

7:23p While polls have closed, long lines that extend outside the polling spots have been reported in Collin, Dallas and Tarrant counties.

- WFAA.com

7:13p A caller in Little Elm said traffic and parking was so bad in the area due to the large amount of voters. Along with herself, she said it appeared many people weren't able to make it in time to cast their ballot.
- WFAA.com

7:00p The polls have closed in the Texas primary election, but voters who are in line at the deadline will be allowed to cast their ballots.
- WFAA.com

6:33p ABC News projects that John McCain will win the Ohio Republican primary election. The network says it does not have enough information to project a winner in the Democratic race between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.
- ABC News

6:06p 'You can't vote here,' is something hundreds of voters in North Texas heard Tuesday.

"I don't know who's responsible, but it's very frustrating," said voter Susan Ward. "I got on online last night to look up information to make sure I got to the right place."

But when Ward arrived to the site, there were no Republican ballots. The GOP had moved the polling place to another site.

The Lancaster Recreation Center was listed as a polling site for both parties, but Democrats who arrived to vote found their spot had been switched as well.

The Dallas County election administrator said it's not a plot. In primary elections, parties can choose their own polling locations. In general elections, the county decides.

Dallas County says this happened at eight Republican and three Democratic precincts.
- Byron Harris, WFAA-TV Dallas reporter

6:05p Barack Obama has defeated Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Vermont primary, and the Democratic rivals are dueling in Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island in their race for the party's presidential nomination. John McCain has won the Republican primary in Vermont as he reaches out to secure the GOP nomination.

The Democratic victory was Obama's 12th straight over the former first lady, who is desperate to rebound later in the night in the other three states holding elections.

McCain added Vermont to his column in the Republican race, and pocketed all 17 delegates at stake. That put the magic number - 1,191 - within his reach.
- The Associated Press

5:08p Voting in the primary is only the first step in what's known as the "Texas Two-Step." One-third of delegates will be awarded in caucuses after the polls close. It's a process many Texans have never been a part of. For every precinct voting, a caucus is held. While an odd process, it is also a very important part of the primary.

The first step to a caucus for a voter is that they show up and give proof that they voted using a registration card or a voting receipt. An identification card works as well, but is slower since their vote will have to be verified.

Next, the voters sign-in. There will be a sign-up list for each candidate, and it will be the number of names on the list that will determine the percentage of delegates that each candidate will receive.

Once the signing is done, they elect a chairman and secretary for the precinct. The chairman's first job is to check the sign-in sheets to determine which percentage each candidate received. They then divide the caucus up into size.

Precinct caucuses cannot begin until the last vote is made. They are also not allowed to begin until 7:15 p.m.

Half of Texas delegates will be awarded in caucuses Tuesday night.
- Gary Reaves, WFAA-TV Dallas reporter

5:07p Hundreds of people in several local communities showed up to vote only to find out their polling spot wasn't there. Parties moved to other locations, which led to confusion for many voters. More information on the mix-up will be detailed on News 8 at 6 p.m.
- WFAA-TV

5:04p With two hours left for voters to cast their ballots at the polls, long lines can still be seen in Collin County. The Collin County elections administration said she expects lines to grow even longer over the next two hours.

However, voters have met with frustration since at many of the polling spots there are only two voting machines for Democrats. The primary organizers didn't expect such a close race when they put in the order for the machines last December. They based their plans on the 2004 primaries, which was when there was a higher Republican turnout. So, at many locations, there are four machines for the Republican primary and only two for the Democrats. Collin County officials asked for 60 more machines on Friday, but were told by the election administrator it was too late.

Since it appears the Republican turnout is much lower Tuesday, some election judges have reportedly moved Republican machines over to the Democratic side. The machines are set up to handle either party. Each polling location has also been stocked with paper ballots; and as lines get longer, they will be given the option to use the paper ballots instead.
- Steve Stoler, WFAA-TV Collin County reporter

4:49p Some numbers about the Texas primaries: The secretary of state's office says Texas has about 12.75 million registered voters. Secretary of State Phil Wilson expects turnout as high as 26 percent. That would work out to about 3.3 million voters. About two million Texans cast ballots during the nearly two-week early voting period. Slightly more than 1.2 million Texans cast ballots in the 15 most populous counties through Friday's end of early voting. Four states are holding primaries today: Texas, Vermont, Rhode Island and Ohio.
- The Associated Press

2:45p A lot of voters in Collin County are getting frustrated by the time it takes to vote because of a shortage of machines. There are 61 polling places for Democrats and 60 Republican polling places in Collin County. In a lot of those spots, there are four or five machines for Republican voters compared to roughly two machines for the Democrats. When the Democratic Party put in its request for voting machines in Texas, it based the numbers on the 2004 primary. Last Friday, the the Collin County Elections Administration asked for more machines, but it was too late. Now, at some polling places where Republican turnout is light, workers are moving one machine from the Republican voting area over to the Democratic area. Elections workers will also use paper ballots to help speed up the time it takes to vote, if needed.
- Steve Stoler, WFAA-TV Collin County reporter

2:02p Elections in Dallas County are running smoothly, according to the elections office. Every piece of equipment is out and in-use.
-WFAA-TV

1:17p All the polls are showing the race between Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama too close to call in Texas. And WFAA.com's strictly unscientific online survey of our users has a similar result. We've had nearly 1,600 responses to the question, "Who are you supporting in the presidential primary election?" At last count, 36 percent favor Obama; 35 percent for Clinton. Republican candidates Mike Huckabee and John McCain are likewise locked in a statistical tie, sharing 12 percent of our survey responses. It's not too late to make your voice heard in our survey; see the link in the box to the right.
- WFAA.com

12:50p We spotted a hearse driving around downtown Dallas. The back window read "R.I.P. 'OLD Government'" and next to the driver in the front seat was a cutout of Barack Obama. Here’s a pic we captured with a cell phone camera.
- Katharyn DeVille, WFAA digital producer

12:45p In a satellite interview with WFAA-TV, Democratic candidate Barack Obama said he does not plan to ask Hillary Clinton to pull out of the race if he wins big in Texas and Ohio today. "That's going to be up to her, but we feel very confident that we're going to just continue during the course of this campaign. We built up a sizable lead in delegates; we're just going to continue to do that," he said. "We think this is going to be a close race, and we just want to make sure the people are focused on the issues that matter." Obama said he would be watching primary election returns from Texas, Ohio and two other states tonight in San Antonio.
- WFAA-TV

12:30p Hillary Clinton was joined by Hollywood actor and director Rob Reiner as she stumped for votes this morning at Herrera's Mexican restaurant on Denton Drive in Dallas. The Democratic presidential candidate — locked in a very close Texas race with rival Barack Obama — shook hands with lunch hour diners as she attempted to get all-important media exposure in the final hours of the campaign.
- Aaron Chimbel, WFAA.com mobile journalist, in Dallas

12:06p At Collin County precinct 7374 in far North Dallas, voters met with about a 20-minute wait to cast their ballots. "It's always worth waiting for," said Pam Faulkner. Another voter, Gary Parsons, was equally unconcerned about any delays. "Time's on my side, so I'm not worried about it," he said. But election officials in Collin County said they were dealing with abnormally long wait times at some precincts. Ballots were being reallocated at the last minute to deal with problem areas.
- Brad Hawkins, WFAA-TV, in far North Dallas

12:02p GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee believes his followers will pull him through for a win in Texas. He visited his campaign headquarters in far North Dallas this morning, thanking workers for all their efforts. One supporter even serenaded the candidate with a song.
- WFAA-TV

11:45a A caller to News 8 said he went to vote at Precinct 2507 in Rowlett when it opened at 7 a.m., but the election judge was 15 minutes late. The caller said the polls had still not opened for voting at 8 a.m. and many people had to leave without voting.
- WFAA-TV

10:39a Republican presidential candidate John McCain says Texas is primed to make him his party's nominee. "I hope everybody’s voted already … with your help today, I will secure the nomination. We have to win big here in the state of Texas," McCain said this morning at the Mi Tierra Cafe Y Panaderia in San Antonio. McCain touted his credentials as a seasoned leader ready to confront the nation’s most pressing issue. About 100 supporters attended. "I've spent my entire life dealing with national security issues," McCain said, adding that he plans to battle "radical Islamic extremism" and to reduce government waste. "I don't need on-the-job training," McCain said.
- Dave Levinthal, The Dallas Morning News, in San Antonio

10:05a There's an unconfirmed report that voting machines are not working at Precinct 2601 at Sachse City Hall. One caller to Channel 8's assignment desk was angry that there were only two voting machines (and long lines) for Democrats at Harrison Middle School in Wylie, while Republican voters had four machines available (and no waiting to vote).
- WFAA-TV

9:58a Some polling places reported a crush right when polls opened at 7 a.m. and a 20-minute wait was reported at Western Middle School in Frisco. But voting at several other locations was brisk. "This is the largest I have ever seen in Denton," said Marsha Keffer, precinct manager at the First Baptist Church of Denton, where Democrats were voting. She said the wait time was five minutes or less and that 170 people had already voted by 9 a.m. Voting judge Mike LoVuolo at the Samuell Grand center in Dallas said there was no wait to vote this morning, but that he expected larger crowds at noon and again after 4 p.m.
- DallasNews.com

8:54a About 100 coffee-clutching John McCain supporters gathered at Mi Tierra Cafe Y Panaderia in San Antonio for breakfast with the U.S. senator from Arizona, who's running a little late this morning. It's another relatively light campaigning day for Mr. McCain, who will later stump in Houston before a scheduled arrival this afternoon in Dallas. After several hours of down time, he'll watch returns at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Dallas with hundreds of revelers.
- Dave Levinthal, The Dallas Morning News, in San Antonio

8:48a Voting got off to a slow start in Dallas. At Junius Heights Baptist Church on Reiger Avenue, a few people were seen voting shortly after the polls opened, but no lines were reported. "I voted for Clinton today," said Angel Salazar, a 32-year-old physician. "She is a little bit more forceful, more experienced since her husband was president. When he was president, the economy was good and we didn’t get into disagreements with other countries as much." Todd Smith, 37, a floral designer was heading to the polling site to cast his ballot for Barack Obama. "He is the most qualified for what the country needs at this point," he said.
- Kimberly Durnan, The Dallas Morning News

7:58a Hillary Clinton will be looking for last-minute support in Dallas this morning at 11:30 when she stops by at a Mexican restaurant. Her campaign has asked that the name and location of the restaurant not be revealed. We're told she'll be shaking hands, but won't be answering any questions from reporters.
- WFAA-TV

7:00a The polls have just opened across the state for what's being called the most influential Texas primary election in two decades. Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are locked in a neck-and-neck race for key Texas delegates that could help determine the party's nominee. Polls will remain open until 7 p.m., after which Democratic voters are invited to local caucuses to help select additional convention delegates.
- WFAA.com

6:15a In a live interview from Houston, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton tells News 8 that she believes all segments of the electorate will back her White House bid. "We've worked across the state to put together a really positive campaign, and I feel good about what's going to happen today as long as people come out to vote despite the weather," she said. "I came to Texas 36 years ago and I've been coming back ever since, and I'm so grateful for the friendships I've developed over those years," she said. "I miss Ann Richards, because she'd be having a great time in this campaign, but I just am really honored to be competing here in Texas."
- WFAA.com