The Tarrant County Commissioners Court voted unanimously Tuesday afternoon to postpone a proposal to cut polling sites by 45% across the county ahead of this year’s midterm election.
The decision to cut sites was proposed by Elections Administrator Clint Ludwig, who argued the midterms see lower turnout and the cuts would save the county money. Sites would have been cut down from 316 to 176. The proposal also would have cut the number of early voting sites from the 50 used in 2022 down to 42 this November.
But after the court heard hours of contentious public testimony from residents who opposed the cuts, County Judge Tim O’Hare (R) said he wasn’t comfortable cutting that many sites and they tabled the vote until Sept. 1.
Speakers argued that commissioners should be increasing the number of polling sites to accommodate the county’s growing population since the 2022 midterms. Several speakers also threatened their vote in this year’s midterm election if the cuts went through, as the county judge and two commissioners’ seats will be on the ballot in November.
“ Fear has a funny way of revealing itself, and right now it’s written all over your actions and your faces,” Patrice Jones, Vice Chair of Tarrant County Democratic Party, said during public testimony. “Our young people are watching, organizing, and taking notes, so trust and believe the receipts will be saved. Here is a community call to action. Register every student, organize every block and neighborhood, turn out every family, and let’s unseat every elected official who supported limiting our access to the ballot box.”
Residents also called the proposal blatant voter suppression and voiced their concerns that the cuts, which specifically target Black and brown communities, would disenfranchise voters.
“America is the right to vote—it is wrong to suppress that,” Catherine Godby, a Tarrant County resident, said. “You’re on the wrong side of history, you’re dishonoring what it means to be American, and more than that, you’re losing your humanity.”
Two hours into the meeting, O’Hare—who has become known for cutting off speakers’ time and removing individuals from court—kicked the public out of the courtroom after attendees applauded and reacted to various speakers. Former Democratic state representative Lon Burnam was also arrested and physically carried out of the courtroom while testifying against the cuts.
After clearing the chamber, O’Hare allowed speakers to return one at a time to address the court, and residents were allowed to stay in the audience after their remarks.
Tuesday’s meeting drew more than 300 attendees requiring two overflow rooms to accommodate the crowd—and drew the attention of statewide candidates, including Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor Vikki Goodwin and Democratic nominee for attorney general Nathan Johnson. Both candidates attended a rally outside the court prior to the meeting, and testified against the changes.
“It’s a refreshing change and a reassuring turn of events to see that, sometimes, showing up and making your voice heard does make a difference,” Johnson said in a statement following the court’s decision. “But let’s be clear about what happened here today: This proposal wasn’t defeated, it was delayed. It’s tabled until September, which means the same court that tried to close 140 polling places today could try again in a few weeks. The integrity of our elections and the legitimacy of the power of elected officials is on the line.”
Prior to the meeting, Kevin Burge, the Democratic candidate for Texas’ 24th Congressional District, also said his campaign, along with Nathan Smith, the Democratic nominee for Tarrant County District Clerk, and the Tarrant County Young Democrats, is prepared to take the county to court if the cuts are too drastic.
“We need to make it easier to vote, not harder,” Burge said. “It doesn’t matter whether someone is a Republican, a Democrat, or an independent. No one should have to choose between waiting in a long line to vote and getting to work or caring for their family.”
With the vote tabled, Ludwig—who made it clear the polling site analysis and changes were requested by commissioners—is expected to bring a revised proposal back before the court for deliberation next month.
