四虎影院

Tarrant County voters were not deterred by long lines at local polling sites throughout the first day of early voting. This election, they said, is too important to ignore.

More than 58,400 residents cast their ballots for national, state and local races on Oct. 21 as the two-week early voting period started prior to the Nov. 5 election, according to counts released by the county鈥檚 elections office. That number represents a 38% increase over the first day of early voting in 2020 when 42,343 voters participated in-person.

Amid the rush of voters, Tarrant County reported two incidents on the first day of early voting to the Texas Secretary of State鈥檚 Office, according to Bill Hanna, the county鈥檚 public information officer.

One voter who reviewed his ballot said his preferred choice for president was not properly reflected in the electronic voting system, Hanna said. Voters electronically mark their selections through voting machines and then print a final paper ballot for review before the ballot is submitted.

鈥淭he original ballot was spoiled, and the voter re-marked a new ballot with his preferred choice reflected,鈥� Hanna said in a news release.

In addition, election officials identified a labeling error for the office of 鈥淧residing Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals鈥� on the printed paper ballot.

鈥淭his labeling error will not affect the results of either the Railroad Commissioner or the Presiding Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals race,鈥� Hanna said.

Officials urge voters to confirm their choices on the physical paper ballot before placing it into the scanner to be counted.

鈥淭arrant County Elections has no reason to believe that votes are being switched by the voting system,鈥� Hanna said.

Last year, Tarrant County Elections had an online election tracker that provided information on the number of ballots cast for early voting and Election Day as well as percentages of the number of registered voters that participated. The department has since changed vendors, and the current vendor does not have the same capability, Hanna said.

This year, however, the department added a new feature to its website that shows the wait times at polling locations, Hanna said. That feature is accessible .

At the Southside Community Center on East Rosedale Street, a steady stream of people flowed in and out of the polling site on Oct. 21, with many experiencing a wait of 45 minutes or longer.

Keller resident Sarena Martinez and her friend, Southside resident Shana Gibbs, showed up to vote for their presidential favorite, who they declined to name.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a presidential election and things need to change,鈥� Martinez said. 鈥淎merica needs to be great again.鈥�

鈥淚 agree, for the same reason,鈥� Gibbs said. 鈥淭here needs to be a change.鈥�

Angie Sanders, an expectant mother, said she voted for Vice President Kamala Harris for president because she was deeply concerned about women鈥檚 health rights. She said anti-abortion policies in Texas have led to unexpected changes in her own medical care.

鈥淚鈥檝e had three OB-GYNs since I鈥檝e been pregnant,鈥� she said, referring to her obstetrician gynecologists. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been really hard to start that process over and over.鈥�

Sanders said Harris will protect the health rights of women, including those who must have abortions because of medical issues.

Voting, she said, is a civic duty.

鈥淲e are offered that right so we should take advantage of that and do our duty as residents,鈥� Sanders said.

Barbara Acosta of Fort Worth said she was also supporting Harris鈥� presidential bid.

鈥淚鈥檒l just say I won鈥檛 be voting for (Donald) Trump,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a situation where we don鈥檛 need a person like Trump, with his felonies. He can run for president, seriously?鈥�

She also referred to Trump鈥檚 role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., that resulted in violence and the death of six people as protesters sought to block the certification of votes for President Joe Biden.

鈥淚f that had been me, I would have been shot,鈥� Acosta said, referring to her identity as a Black woman.

Betty Black, a Black woman who also cast her vote at the Southside site, said she was supporting former president Donald Trump because he is 鈥渟omeone who can make a change.鈥�

Trump鈥檚 34 felony convictions didn鈥檛 play much of a factor in Black鈥檚 decision to support the former president. The vice president, she said, was 鈥渨ishy-washy.鈥� Black repeated Trump鈥檚 assertions that Harris, of Black and South Asian descent, previously referred to herself as Asian and only recently described herself as Black.

鈥淚 have a video on my phone where Kamala says she is Asian,鈥� Black said.

Aracely Chavez, a Fort Worth resident, wasn鈥檛 shy about her support for Harris and her disdain for Trump and his lies.

鈥淚鈥檓 ready to turn Tarrant County blue,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 bring myself to vote for any Republican, even in the uncontested judicial races.鈥�

Chavez said she doesn鈥檛 support the Republican Party鈥檚 election tactics, pointing to County Judge Tim 翱鈥橦补谤别鈥檚 recent effort to remove college polling places from the county鈥檚 list of early voting sites.

翱鈥橦补谤别 over the inaccessibility of college polling sites to nonstudents and said voting locations should not cater to certain demographic groups. Tarrant County commissioners , with 翱鈥橦补谤别 the sole dissenter, to keep all college polling sites in September.

鈥淩epublicans play dirty, it鈥檚 the only way they can win,鈥� Chavez said. 鈥淩acism fuels the Republican Party, whether they like it or not. People need to get out and vote to make sure we don鈥檛 end up with a dictator in office.鈥�

Jerry Sandoval, a 55-year-old Fort Worth resident, said he supported the right to vote but declined to say who won his ballot.

鈥淚 believe it鈥檚 the right of the people to decide and have a voice,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he person I voted for, I believe, is a good choice for the country.鈥�

Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org. 

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .

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