Tarrant County proposal to cut polling sites faces Democratic opposition
A plan to reduce the number of polling locations in Texas' Tarrant County by 92 sites is set for a vote, prompting protests from Democratic officials and voting-rights groups who warn it could hinder voter access.
Tarrant County, Texas, will vote on Tuesday on a proposal to eliminate 92 polling locations that were used in the 2022 midterm elections. County officials say the change will streamline resources by closing sites with low turnout while still providing voters with more than 200 remaining locations, an average distance of about 1.5 miles between them.
The plan has drawn criticism from Democratic leaders and voting-rights organizations. State Rep. James Talarico, a candidate in the U.S. Senate race, urged the county to reject the proposal, claiming it would make voting harder for residents.
"The most powerful people in this county, the most powerful people in this country, don’t want us to be able vote easily," Talarico said at a news conference.
Republican officials countered that the reductions are not intended to suppress votes. Rep. Matt Shaheen, chair of the House Elections Committee, described accusations of voter suppression as "a silly accusation." County Judge Tim O’Hare added that the plan avoids duplicating polling sites that are unnecessarily close to each other.
Tarrant County Elections Administrator Clint Ludwig said the closures target locations that serve few voters, while sites near bus stops that meet federal accessibility standards will stay open.
The NAACP and the American Civil Liberties Union, along with other voting-rights groups, signed a letter urging the county to reject the plan, noting that the closures could disproportionately affect minority communities, which make up about one-third of the county’s population.
Election officials in other Texas counties have similarly adjusted the number of polling places, citing factors such as poll-worker shortages and the adoption of countywide voting.
"Because what happens when people don’t have a convenient place to go vote that’s not too far away from where they are, where they live? They just don’t go vote because they’ve made it so difficult," election judge Carol Raburn said, describing the proposal as a form of voter suppression.