Tarrant County, Texas, a population center of more than 2 million people bordering Dallas and Fort Worth, is considering a proposal to significantly reduce its number of polling locations ahead of the November midterm elections. The plan, scheduled for a vote, would eliminate 92 polling sites compared to the number available during the 2022 midterms, though county officials state that more than 200 locations would remain available to voters.
County elections administrator and officials have characterized the reduction as an efficiency measure, arguing it would eliminate low-turnout sites while maintaining voter access. They noted that the average distance between Election Day polling sites under the proposal would be 1.5 miles, and emphasized that locations near public transportation and those complying with federal accessibility requirements were prioritized to remain operational. County Judge Tim O’Hare, the county’s top administrator, stated the plan would avoid what he called wasteful practices.
Democratic officials and voting rights organizations have opposed the proposal. State Representative James Talarico, the Democratic candidate in the U.S. Senate race against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, called for the county to reject the plan. The NAACP, the American Civil Liberties Union, and other voting rights groups signed a letter contending the closures would disproportionately affect areas with high percentages of minority residents. Some election workers and observers have characterized the reductions as voter suppression.
Polling location reductions are part of a broader trend in Texas, with county officials citing resource constraints and difficulty recruiting poll workers as contributing factors. Texas law allows each of the state’s 254 counties to independently determine the number of polling places. Republican officials have disputed characterizations that such reductions suppress voting access.
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