Since 2022, Tarrant County’s voter rolls have increased from 1,226,353 voters to 1,306,427 today, according to the Barbara Jordan Leadership Institute. Adding roughly 80,000 voters (a 6.5% jump) should mean the need for more polling locations, not fewer.
Yet based on the county commissioners’ recent decision to eliminate 92 polling locations, fewer opportunities to cast ballots is what Tarrant County will receive.
“If it looks like voter suppression, if it sounds like voter suppression, it is voter suppression,” said Rep. Vikki Goodwin, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor against incumbent Dan Patrick.
The poorest areas of Tarrant County will suffer a ~41% loss in polling sites while wealthier areas will see only a 15% reduction, based on local election data.
In 2022, the last midterm election, Tarrant County had 316 Election Day sites and 50 for early voting. Now, Election Day’s number is down to 224 and early voting’s to 42.
In the meeting that lasted over eight hours, more than 100 citizens spoke, most opposed to the cut in sites. Before the meeting, dozens of civic groups gathered outside the nearby county courthouse to rally for more polling locations, not fewer.
Republicans nationwide fear a Blue Wave this November, which is why critics believe the GOP-led commissioners court decided the way it did. Exhibit A: Republicans recently lost the long-held District 9 seat to Democrat State Sen. Taylor Rehmet.
“Ensuring every eligible Texan can cast their ballot is not a partisan issue,” Rehmet said in a statement.
County Commissioner Alisa Simmons, who is running against Republican Tim O’Hare for his County Judge seat, said, “We have not heard them say anything about cost. This is not about cost. This is about power. This is political.”
Now is a good time to check your registration. (Even if you’re among the 1.2 million Texans on the “suspense” list, you can still vote. You’ll need to fill out some paperwork when you arrive at your polling location.) Go to VoteTexas.gov. You must be registered by Mon, Oct 5. Early voting goes from Mon, Oct 19, thru Fri, Oct 30. Election Day is Tue, Nov 3.
This column reflects the opinions of the editorial board and not the Fort Worth Weekly. To submit a column, please email Editor Anthony Mariani at Anthony@FWWeekly.com. He will gently edit it for clarity and concision.
