Texas has over 500 fewer Election Day polling locations than in 2018

Texas voters will have more than 500 fewer Election Day polling locations this Tuesday than they did eight years ago.

A CBS News Texas I-Team analysis of all 254 counties found that the number of polling places has declined in 130 counties since 2018. The statewide total has dropped by more than 500 locations.

But election officials across Texas argue those numbers do not tell the full story.

Many voters today can cast a ballot at more locations than they could eight years ago because a growing number of counties have adopted countywide voting, a system that allows voters to vote at any polling location in the county rather than at a single assigned precinct site.

This year, a record 103 Texas counties have approval to use the countywide voting system.

The debate over whether fewer polling places means less access is playing out in Tarrant County, where election officials plan to open 223 Election Day polling locations this year, down from 338 in 2018.

The reduction of 115 sites has sparked a lawsuit alleging the cuts disproportionately affect Black and Latino voters. Critics have accused county leaders of making voting less accessible.

County officials have defended the plan, saying it saves money while still providing enough locations to serve voters.

Tarrant County is far from alone. The I-Team found polling locations have declined in more than half of Texas counties since 2018. Election officials say one reason has little to do with politics and more to do with real estate.

Why some polling locations disappeared

Kaufman County, one of the fastest-growing counties in Texas, will have fewer Election Day polling locations this year than it did in 2018.

Election Administrator Tandi Smith said the county's number of polling places has fallen from 29 to 23 because several former voting sites are no longer available.

"We've had six locations no longer be able to serve as polling locations," Smith said. "Either they've changed ownership, they can't handle the influx of the people coming into their facility, or they're not ADA compliant."

Polling locations must meet accessibility requirements, provide adequate security and be large enough to handle voters.

Many counties rely on churches, community centers and homeowners association buildings for polling places. But Smith said some private facilities have become increasingly reluctant to host elections because of insurance concerns and other requirements.

"That's a hard buy-in for some people," Smith said.

Even with fewer polling locations, Kaufman County voters can cast ballots at any polling place in the county on Election Day.

"It gives us more flexibility for the voter," Smith said. "Instead of them being locked into only one voting location, they now have access to a network of many voting locations that they can choose at their convenience."

But countywide voting does not necessarily mean voters have a location closer to home.

The I-Team found nearly six in 10 counties using countywide voting now have fewer polling locations than they did in 2018. That means voters may have more locations available to them overall, but the nearest one could be farther away.

That is the case for some students at the University of Texas at Arlington. In previous elections, students could vote at the Maverick Activities Center between classes. The location will not be open on Election Day this year.

County officials said the site was removed because it was close to other polling locations.

Students can still vote at more than 200 locations across Tarrant County. But for those without a car, the nearest polling place is now about a 25-minute walk away.

Distance matters

That walk could have an impact. A 2026 study, Polling Place Location and the Costs of Voting, found that for every additional mile a voter must travel to reach a polling place, the likelihood of voting in person drops by 1 to 3 percentage points.

Still, countywide voting does not automatically lead to fewer polling places.

Dallas and Collin counties both use the countywide system and have added polling locations since 2018. Sixteen other Texas counties have done the same.

But the system does allow counties to consolidate sites because they are no longer required to maintain a polling location in every precinct.

In North Texas, Denton County is the exception.

The county still uses a precinct-based voting system, meaning voters must cast ballots at their assigned polling location on Election Day.

As Denton County's population has grown, so has its number of polling places.

Since 2018, the county has added 54 Election Day voting locations.

"We don't have the legal ability to reduce sites," Denton County Elections Administrator Frank Phillips said. "As people move in, we just have to open more sites."

Phillips said finding enough suitable polling locations has become increasingly difficult. He believes Denton County may eventually have to switch to countywide voting.

"It's becoming harder and harder to be in compliance finding polling sites," Phillips said. "The only solution for that is to be a countywide county."

Election officials are urging voters to verify their polling location before heading to the polls Tuesday. Voters in precinct-based counties should confirm they are assigned to the correct location, while voters in countywide counties should review their available options before Election Day.