Arlington council members are weighing whether or not to take an official stance on or against the cuts during their next scheduled meeting, but it may come too late.
On Sept. 1, county commissioners are set to vote on a list of midterm polling locations in Tarrant County. The vote is scheduled for just under a month after the commissioners delayed a decision following a tense meeting that led to two arrests.
Roughly 28% of 2022 Arlington election day voters cast their ballot at a location proposed to be cut. The changes would also see the early voting location at the University of Texas at Arlington cut.
On Thursday, Mayor Jim Ross said the resolution will come forward at the next scheduled council meeting on Sept. 8, which is after the county commissioners court is scheduled to approve the polling locations.
In the Aug. 27 interview, Ross said he wants residents of Arlington to have “the easiest opportunity to vote.”
“I’m anxious to see what proposed locations are, or what locations are being proposed to be shut down in Arlington,” Ross said before the new list was made public.
In late July, a proposal to cut some voting sites across the county was proposed by county staff, with county commissioners set to vote on it days later. Staff said the cuts were for cost savings and were based on the low usage of some polling sites.
However, a majority of commissioners chose to delay the vote after determining, they said, that the proposal would cut too many polling places.
In 2022, there were 316 voting sites. In the July proposal, 176 sites were proposed, a 45% reduction. The new proposal includes 224 polling places.
In Arlington, the original proposal cut 30 election day voting locations from 2022. The new proposed list includes a total of 19 fewer locations than 2022.
Of those proposed cuts, the fewest are in south Arlington. Some of the locations that would no longer serve as day-of-polling sites include buildings that either changed ownership or closed completely, like Blanton Elementary in east Arlington.
Red markers indicate that the location was a voting site in 2022, but was either cut, closed or changed ownership. Blue indicates that the location was proposed to be used in 2026, but was not a voting site in 2022. Yellow indicates the location was proposed for a cut in July, but was added to the list in August.
Red markers indicate that the location was a voting site in 2022, but was either cut, closed or changed ownership. Blue indicates that the location was proposed to be used in 2026, but was not a voting site in 2022. Yellow indicates the location was proposed for a cut in July, but was added to the list in August.
Of the seven early voting sites in 2022, both proposals cut two and added one at the ACTIV Center.
The Center for Community Service Junior League of Arlington, which closed after the Junior League sold the building and later folded, and the University of Texas at Arlington locations are no longer listed as polling sites.
Red markers indicate that the location was a voting site in 2022, but was either cut, closed or changed ownership. Blue indicates that the location was proposed to be used in 2026, but was not a voting site in 2022. Yellow indicates the location was proposed for a cut in July, but was added to the list in August.
Those early voting sites affected by cuts saw 13,999 votes cast in 2022, while Arlington locations as a whole saw 66,929 votes cast.
As for election day polling locations, roughly 38% of 2022 Arlington ballots were cast at locations initially proposed to be cut. The new proposal reduces that to roughly 28%.
About the July proposal, Ross said the election day site cuts were substantial and worrying.
“I want everybody to vote, regardless of how they vote,” Ross said. “They need to have the ability to get to the place convenient for them to cast their vote.”
Council mulling resolution on polling sites
On Aug. 25, council members discussed whether or not to consider a resolution opposing a reduction of Arlington polling places.
Ross asked if council members would like to explore voting on a resolution saying the council could follow in the footsteps of Fort Worth and mirror a move that the city made against redistricting. The council eventually directed the city attorney to draft a resolution.
In early August, county election administrator Clint Ludwig told commissioners that his formula for cutting polling places was based on voter turnout and that the cuts were a money-saving measure.
On Thursday, Ross said he’s all for cost-cutting, but that he is wary of the intentions of reducing the number of voting locations.
“My concern is that we don’t just cut them for cost savings, but we’re cutting them for political reasons,” Ross said.
He further explained that his hesitancy stems from the recent commissioner court precinct redistricting process, when Republican members of the court voted to approve a map deemed more friendly to their party.
Ross’s proposal for Arlington to go on record as opposing the polling place cuts drew both support and opposition on the council.
In 2019, commissioners voted 4-1 to allow Tarrant voters to choose any vote center in the county to cast their ballot at.
Council member Bowie Hogg and other members lauded that move during the Aug. 25 meeting, saying it helped increase participation and made it easier for voters to find a close polling location.
During the meeting, Hogg said he’d have a hard time agreeing to a “blanket statement” resolution without a deeper understanding of why county administrators proposed the cuts.
Hogg, who also voted no against Arlington’s resolution in opposition of the commissioner court redistricting, added that the city needs to stay in the county’s good graces and that the focus of council members should be on the issues in front of them.
“We have a lot going on (with) what we’re dealing with,” Hogg said. “(I’m) not saying this is not important, but I think we should stay laser focused.”
Council member Brittney Garcia-Dumas said she understands that there is a lot going on locally, but that it is a council member’s job to hear what matters to their constituents.
“Yes, this is a county deal, but it does affect our residents, and our residents are asking for us to do this.”
Council member Jason Shelton said he’d like the resolution to emphasize the city council’s desire to make it easy to vote in Arlington.
“I do believe that it’s become harder to vote for certain people in certain places, and I think we need to make sure that it’s easier to vote,” Shelton said.
“It may be a moot point,” Ross said.
But until then, he’ll be watching for the county commissioners court’s decision.
“I’m anxious to see exactly what the polling sites are now, with the new maneuvering of it,” Ross said.
Chris Moss is a reporter for the Arlington Report. Contact him at chris.moss@arlingtonreport.org.
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