COVID-19 had voters and poll workers taking extra safety precautions. Sites like the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Fort Worth have masks for adults and kids, as well as pen sanitizers.
Ricky Vazquez is the election judge in charge. "We don't want people to say, I'm not voting because the COVID. Nah. Ain't no excuse this time. So, we ready for 'em," he said.
Malcolm Beaty has lived in Fort Worth all his life, and he came to vote in the morning at the MLK Center.
“I came prepared with my own hand sanitizer and wipes, just to be on the safe side. I figured, couldn’t be any worse than going to the grocery store, and sure enough it wasn’t,” he said.
He said voting is one of the few things people can do to make change on a local level.
“I hope more people are getting out and voting, particularly the young people – the young people of color at that,” he said.
One issue on the ballot in Fort Worth is whether to continue the Crime Control and Prevention District sales tax that generates tens of millions of dollars for the city's police.
Local activist Daniel Garcia Rodriguez was campaigning against the tax outside one Fort Worth polling location. He said he voted that day, although he felt nervous about voting during a pandemic.
"And opportunities like today, when there's an issue that has to do with policing, and there's a nationwide conversation on policing, I see it very important and critical to be engaged in the election," Garcia Rodriguez said.
Garcia Rodriguez said he'd like to see the state open up more opportunities for people to vote by mail.
Got a tip? Email Miranda Suarez at msuarez@kera.org. You can follow Miranda on Twitter @mirandarsuarez.
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