7 hours ago
Tarrant County officials vote to reduce number of polling sites
The Brief
Tarrant County Commissioners voted to significantly reduce the number of early voting and Election Day polling locations.
Opponents of the plan, including two Democratic commissioners, argue the measure is a form of voter suppression.
The vote passed despite public comments and opposition from critics, who cited a lack of data to justify the cuts.
TARRANT COUNTY, Texas - Tarrant County commissioners voted to drastically reduce the number of early voting and election day polling locations.
It's a plan that opponents argue is a form of voter suppression.
Polling location controversy
What we know
More than 100 people were signed up to speak on this measure.
Fire and passion from Democratic Tarrant County Commissioner Roderick Miles underscored the sentiment of dozens of public comments.
"They are the ones making the decisions for these individuals. We are leaving these people out of the process. We are making them invisible and that ain't right," said Commissioner Miles.
"Eliminating voting locations is an assault on the working class, and an assault on young voters."
Tuesday brought resounding opposition to the election administrator's recommendation to eliminate nearly 40% of Tarrant County's early voting sites.
"We had one location that had a total of about 95 people vote the entire time," said County Judge Tim O'Hare. "We had another location that had 116 people vote the entire time."
While Republican County Judge Tim O'Hare seemed to cite low utilization as the catalyst for the cutbacks, each commissioner had remarks regarding the proposal to whittle down 347 polling sites to 214.
What they're saying
"What I was hoping to hear was that there was some scientific method that based it on population on geography, but I didn't hear that," said Commissioner Manny Ramirez.
"I think everybody understands nobody's going to be completely excited or thrilled with losing precincts or voting locations, but that doesn't mean that that's not what we should do."
Democrat commissioner Alisa Simmons argued there is no data or analysis justifying the action prompting this vote.
"These people, who have paid to park, come down here, taking their time to tell us how to do their business. These are taxpayers. And you are constantly calling our staff members liars. Questioning their integrity. Over and over and over.
Measure passed
Local perspective
In the end, the measure passed but not before hearing more from Commissioner Miles, referencing voters who are poor, without transportation, childcare issues and other challenges.
"Our job is to represent every person in the county, the ones that look like us, the ones that don't look like us, the ones who have what we have and the ones who don't," he said.
"It's about eroding access and silencing voices. 60 years ago these kinds of tactics were unacceptable and today they remain. An insult to every voter in Tarrant County. As I close my remarks, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, give us the vote! We are not asking for it, give it to us because it belongs to us."
What's next
The Tarrant County Democratic Party has responded to the commission's action in a statement posted to social media pointing out, those most adversely affected by the cuts are 'within the loop' and Southeast Tarrant County, where a majority of voters are minority-rich communities.
They say it will result in longer lines and limit those without access to a personal vehicle.
The Source
Information in this article was provided from the Tarrant County Commissioners Court Meeting on August 19, 2025.
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