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Tarrant County Commissioners Approve Plan to Reduce Election Day Polling Locations by 30 Percent

Tarrant County commissioners voted 3-2 on Tuesday to reduce the number of Election Day polling locations by 30 percent for the November midterm elections. The new plan establishes 224 voting sites, a decrease from the 316 locations used in 2022. The administration announced that the plan also includes a reduction in early voting locations from 50 to 47. County Judge Tim O’Hare and commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez voted in favor of the measure, while commissioners Alisa Simmons and Roderick Miles Jr. voted against it. Supporters argued the cuts were made for practical reasons, including low voter turnout at certain sites and the need to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. Tim O’Hare stated that the plan ensures every voter has a safe, accessible location while avoiding the wasteful practice of placing sites directly across the street from one another. Opponents, however, included Alisa Simmons and Roderick Miles Jr., argued that the reduction constitutes a form of voter suppression. They noted that the cuts hit lower-income neighborhoods and minority communities the hardest. Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico also joined the opposition, stating that the reduction could lead to longer commutes and lower voter turnout for Black and brown communities.

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