Some malfunctioning voting machines in Texas are resulting in Democrats voting for Republican Sen. Ted Cruz if they cast their ballot for a straight, party line ticket and don't correct it before hitting the red vote button.

The glitch effects the Hart Intercivic eSlate voting machines, which are used in 78 of the 254 counties in the state, and could cost Democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke votes as he tried to defeat Cruz in an election that could decide which party control the Senate.

Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos put the fault on the voter and not the machine, saying the error occurs when a voter takes action before the machine 'has finished rendering all the choices resulting from the voter's straight-party choice.'

Some malfunctioning voting machines in Texas are resulting in Democrats voting for Republican Sen. Ted Cruz if they cast their ballot for a straight, party line ticket

Democrat Beto O'Rourke is trying to unseat Cruz

The glitch effects the Hart Intercivic eSlate voting machines, which are used in 78 of the 254 counties in the state

Pablos said in a statement his office has released detailed instructions on how to use the machine when voting and added it's important for voters to know the machines are not purposely changing votes.

'It is important for all voters in the 78 Texas counties utilizing the Hart Intercivic eSlate to understand that the voting machines are not malfunctioning, nor are they arbitrarily 'switching' the choices of voters who cast a straight-party ballot,' he said.

Pablos also cautioned about spreading alarm about the situation.

'Moreover, the Secretary of State's office has observed a disturbing trend where misinformation is being spread regarding the scale and the impact of these reported instances. This has the potential consequence of raising unnecessary alarm about the integrity of Texas' voting systems and discouraging eligible Texas voters from casting their ballots,' he said.

For Republican voters choosing the party line ballot option, the glitch can result in no vote being cast in the competitive Senate race, where Cruz led O'Rourke by five points in the latest poll.

Cruz is in the political battle of his life as he tries to hang on to his Senate seat from O'Rouke, an up-and-coming Democratic star who has harnessed the power of social media to uplift his campaign and raise millions of dollars.

The incumbent Cruz has brought in GOP heavy weights to help save his seat, including President Donald Trump and his son Donald Trump Jr.

Early voting has begun in the state and the secretary of state advised voters to be patient when casting their ballot to help avoid any error.

Cruz has brought in GOP heavy weights to help save his seat, including President Trump

Cruz (right) led O'Rourke (left) by five points in the latest poll

'When voting a straight-party ballot, wait at least 3-5 seconds for all choices to be rendered on the eSlate voting machines. Counties in which voters have longer ballots may require additional time to allow the screens to load fully,' Pablos advised.

Ft. Bend County Election Administrator John Oldham told a local ABC News station he's seen the problem for at least six years.

'It's not a glitch, it's a user-induced problem that comes from the type of system that we have,' Oldham said. 'I think both sides could be equally hurt.'

He added that he's talked to the Secretary of State more than once about the situation and it's not been fixed other than signs being posted that to warn voters to check their selections before hitting the red vote button.

Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa is demanding the problem be fixed.

'The first step in solving a problem is recognizing that you have one. And the Texas Secretary of State's office has one. This is not a new problem, their office knew about potential flaws in their voting machines and chose to ignore them for years,' he said in a statement. 'Instead of owning up to their mistake, Texas' Republican government blamed voters and did nothing.'

He added: 'The Texas Democratic Party demands the Texas Secretary of State take responsibility for their failures and immediately take action to inform voters to double-check their ballots.'

The O'Rourke campaign did not respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment.

Marian Schneider, president of Verified Voting, a voting integrity organization, told The Washington Post the glitch could impact 5.1 million Texas voters, at a minimum.