Tarrant County commissioners voted Tuesday to cut more than 100 Election Day polling sites and reduced the number of early voting locations for the November election.
The commissioners voted 3-2, along party lines, to cut the number of places to cast ballots to 216 鈥� down from 331 in 2023, the last odd-numbered November election.
The vote came after more than two hours of debate over what cutting locations would mean and concerns from the public that the reductions amounted to voter suppression of Black, Hispanic and college-age voters.
During the meeting, several speakers called the cuts a more extreme version of County Judge Tim O鈥橦are鈥檚 failed effort to last year.
County officials said the move was to save money as they historically see low voter turnout in nonpresidential elections.
Along with November Election Day voting locations, the initial list of sites reduced the number of early voting places to 24, most of which were located in northeastern suburban neighborhoods and cities outside the 820 Loop, and none of which were located on college campuses. Commissioners ultimately restored nine sites for a total of 33 early voting locations, down from 44 two years ago.
Democratic commissioners Roderick Miles Jr. and Alisa Simmons voted against the reduction in voting sites. They also unsuccessfully tried to delay the decision.
Miles and Simmons 鈥� joined by about 40 speakers in attendance who had one minute to make public comments 鈥� decried the reduction of sites.
鈥淓verybody deserves the right to have a place that they are comfortable with and familiar with to go and to cast their vote,鈥� said Miles, who represents predominantly Black neighborhoods that saw a reduction in voting locations. He later added, 鈥淭o dismantle or take those rights away from us that we worked hard to get is unacceptable at any level.鈥�
Election Administrator Clinton Ludwig told commissioners that the initially proposed cuts aimed to save about $1 million. He based the reductions on voter turnout in 2023, which saw about 12.5% registered voters cast ballots, he said.
Locations鈥� accessibility and ability to securely store voting information were also considered, Ludwig said.
Simmons said it was inappropriate to reduce voting locations as Tarrant County鈥檚 population grows.
She pointed out that the Republican members of the court used that growth as a reason to redistrict precincts mid-cycle earlier this year 鈥� a redrawing that would significantly increase the chances of a GOP candidate winning election against her in 2026.
Miles said that ensuring accessibility is the court鈥檚 responsibility and that the court should be focused on making it easier to vote, not harder.
Election administrator defends reductions
Balancing efficiency and access was front of mind for Commissioner Manny Ramirez, he said. He and Commissioner Matt Krause, both Republicans, joined the Democrats to amend the list and add the nine locations. O鈥橦are was the lone dissenting vote.
Ramirez said that in denser places like central Fort Worth, each neighborhood can feel like a different city, and he doesn鈥檛 support cutting established, popular voting locations in them.
鈥淭he formula for where you put these voting sites has to be scientific,鈥� he told the Report on Monday. 鈥淚t should be population-based and proximity to additional site-based.鈥�
Ludwig said the scaled-back sites accommodate Tarrant County鈥檚 growth while aiming to be efficient. He said no commissioner had any influence on the list and that no partisan analysis was taken into account.
He calculated it would take 12 locations across the county to handle the busiest day of early voting, and 80 for Election Day. It costs about $10,300 to run a voting center, he said.
鈥淲e went back and looked and said, 鈥極K, if 12 (can) handle it, how do we make cuts? How do we make sure we have the best location?鈥欌�� he said.
A new Texas law reduces the county鈥檚 鈥� rolling back a 2023 requirement of 347.
Ludwig said the county鈥檚 sites meet the state鈥檚 new 鈥渂are minimum,鈥� with 鈥渁 little bit of wiggle room鈥� in case certain planned locations fall through.
The average distance between locations was 4.5 miles, he said.
Krause told Ludwig he appreciated that the list was 鈥渄riven by pure voter turnout鈥� and tried to find the 鈥渕ost efficient鈥� way to handle the election.
Fewer locations, fewer voters
Fewer voting sites means fewer voters, Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston, told the Report in a Monday interview.
鈥淚f you move a polling place farther away from someone鈥檚 house, then they鈥檙e less likely to vote because you鈥檝e increased the cost of voting,鈥� said Rottinghaus, who has studied poll placement and its impact on turnout. 鈥淭he cost can be your time. It can be your gas.鈥�
November鈥檚 ballot includes several proposed constitutional amendments and a special election in parts of Tarrant County to replace former state Sen. , a North Richland Hills Republican who left the Legislature to serve as the . The Texas Senate District 9 seat represents most of the north and western parts of Tarrant County, including White Settlement, Haltom City and Keller.
Rottinghaus said some counties 鈥測o-yo鈥� year-to-year in the number of polling places they have. Constitutional elections, such as November鈥檚, typically have fewer locations than presidential and midterm elections, he said. Still, Tarrant County鈥檚 reduction seems 鈥渁ggressive,鈥� he said.
Once the number of polling places goes down, it usually stays down, Rottinghaus said.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to generally see that same number continue for at least the near term,鈥� he said.
Residents speak against cutting voting sites
All but one speaker spoke against the reductions during nearly two hours of public comments.
Sabrina Ball said she has worked as an election judge in Republican County Commissioner Manny Ramirez鈥檚 district in Northwest Tarrant County. She鈥檚 seen firsthand people working hard to find the time to get to a polling location and vote.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e not saving money. You鈥檙e sacrificing democracy to save a buck,鈥� she said.
Some said the cuts amounted to creating voting deserts in communities of color.
Leon Reed said Republican commissioners will face a 鈥渧icious snapback鈥� if they continue to stretch Tarrant County farther to the right.
Fort Worth City Council members speak against the reduction
In the lead-up to the vote, several Fort Worth City Council members urged their constituents to speak against the effort.
Council member Carlos Flores, who represents parts of northwest Fort Worth and the Stockyards, including the Northside neighborhood, issued a statement against the vote, saying fewer sites negatively impact diverse communities. In a statement to the Report, he added that limited polling locations and inconvenient voting procedures contribute to low turnout.
Mia Hall, who represents southwest Fort Worth and the Como neighborhood, sent a news release to her district on Monday, decrying the proposed cuts near Lake Como, Southside and Northside 鈥� all predominantly Black or Hispanic neighborhoods.
鈥淭hese communities have long fought for equitable access to the ballot box, and removing their polling locations is simply unacceptable,鈥� Hall wrote. 鈥淲hile I understand the pressures of state regulations and budgetary constraints, disenfranchising entire communities is not an acceptable response.鈥�
The last day to register to vote for the November election is Oct. 6, and the last day to apply for a ballot by mail is Oct. 24. Early voting runs from Oct. 20 to Oct. 31.
Drew Shaw is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org or .
