Tarrant County Commissioners Approve 30% Reduction in Election Day Polling Sites
Republican leaders in Tarrant County voted to cut the number of Election Day voting locations by 30% for the November midterms, prompting criticism from Democrats and community members.
Tarrant County officials voted Tuesday to reduce the number of Election Day polling sites from 316 in 2022 to 224 for the November midterm elections, a 30% cut. Early-voting locations will also drop from 50 to 47. The decisions were approved in separate 3-2 votes, with County Judge Tim O’Hare and Commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez supporting the plans, while Commissioners Roderick Miles Jr. and Alisa Simmons opposed them.
Amendments to retain polling sites at the University of Texas at Arlington and two Tarrant County College campuses were rejected, as was a proposal to restore dozens of additional locations. The vote sparked a large turnout of residents at the commissioners’ meeting, many holding signs urging officials to be voted out.
State Rep. Chris Turner (D) said the removal of the university site “is not a neutral decision” and described it as a barrier for young and first-time voters. He also criticized the proposed elimination of a polling site at Bethlehem Baptist Church, noting its recent increase in voter turnout.
University of Texas at Arlington student Kayla Gillespie argued that the campus location is essential for student accessibility, while Commissioner Alisa Simmons highlighted the practical burden of requiring students to travel a mile to an alternative site.
Commissioner Roderick Miles warned that polling locations hold community significance beyond distance, emphasizing that transportation challenges affect voters without personal vehicles. An analysis cited by Simmons indicated that the cuts would affect high-poverty ZIP codes more heavily, with a 41% loss of sites compared to a 15% loss in low-poverty areas.
County Judge Tim O’Hare postponed the final vote on the plan to Sept. 1 after public opposition, and he now faces a competitive re-election campaign against Democratic Commissioner Alisa Simmons, who has called the closures a “deliberate act to reduce voter access.”
Democratic candidates, including state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, condemned the reductions as voter suppression and urged residents to vote regardless of the changes.