Tarrant County commissioners on Tuesday may reduce the number of early voting locations by half and cut Election Day voting locations by more than 100 for the November election.
If commissioners approve the changes, Tarrant County residents would have 24 early voting locations — most located in northeastern suburban neighborhoods and cities outside Loop 820 — down from the 51 open during the 2024 presidential election.
Election Day polling locations would drop to 214 compared to last year’s 349, according to the proposal before commissioners. During the November election in 2021, the county had 48 early voting locations and 323 open on Election Day.
Officials from County Judge Tim O’Hare’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
November’s ballot includes a special election in parts of Tarrant County to replace former state senator Kelly Hancock, a North Richland Hills Republican who left the Legislature to serve as the state’s interim comptroller. The Texas Senate District 9 seat represents most of the north and western parts of Tarrant County, including White Settlement, Haltom City and Keller.
The commissioners court meets at 10 a.m. in the Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building.
Commissioners decide polling locations each year. The county’s briefing to commissioners about the vote does not mention the reduction of sites but does note the court’s duty to create at least one polling place in each election precinct.
Tuesday’s expected vote comes about two months after the GOP-led court voted 3-2 along party lines to draw new commissioner precinct maps that would significantly increase the chances of a fourth Republican winning election in 2026.
Last year, at O’Hare’s request, the commissioners considered removing eight early voting sites located at colleges — a proposal protesting students said amounted to voter suppression.
The vote to remove the colleges’ early voting sites ultimately failed 4-1, with Ramirez and former Republican Commissioner Gary Fickes voting with the court’s two Democrats to keep the sites. O’Hare was the lone dissenting vote, arguing that some of the college voting locations were too close to other polling places.
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. 21 to Oct. 31.
This is a developing story and will be updated frequently.
Drew Shaw is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org or @shawlings601.
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