Tarrant County commissioners vote to cut election polling sites

Tarrant County commissioners have voted to reduce the number of polling locations.

Commissioners voted 3-2 in favor of fewer polling sites for early voting and Election Day.

The new proposal would slash the number of polling sites from 316 on Election Day in 2022 to 224 this November; however, that's fewer cuts than what was originally proposed in August.

The elections administrator said these cuts are about efficiency, and Judge Tim O'Hare said the new proposal exceeds the statutory minimum, adding that some locations were changed due to buildings no longer being operable and ADA requirements.

Several poll workers have said they support the plan, saying turnout is typically lower during midterm elections. Opponents say the cuts could make it harder for some voters to get to the polls, particularly in communities of color, and would eliminate some pivotal voting sites like at colleges, universities and community centers.

Dozens of residents spoke out Tuesday against the proposal to eliminate 92 polling sites for the midterm election in November. Public comments went on for more than two hours, and law enforcement escorted one person out for using profanity.

Tarrant County Commissioner Alisa Simmons brought up the county's 2025 redistricting in relation to the polling site reduction. The restricting maps sparked weeks of controversy and criticism from residents, local leaders, and civil rights advocates who called for the process to be halted due to a lack of transparency and potential racial gerrymandering. Commissioner Roderick Miles accused the reduction of polling sites of creating modern-day "poll taxes," known as a 19th-century voter suppression tool to stop communities of color from voting.

Simmons proposed amending the motion to keep the University of Texas Arlington and Tarrant County College Northeast and Southeast campuses as midterm polling locations. It was voted down 3-2 twice. 

Higher voter turnout is expected for the upcoming elections, O'Hare said Tuesday night.

Texas counties determine number of polling locations

Texas law gives each of the state's 254 counties discretion over how many polling locations to operate. Tarrant County adopted countywide voting in 2019, but the change did not immediately lead to a reduction in polling locations.

Tarrant County currently has 1.3 million registered voters.