Tarrant County commissioners voted Tuesday to cut more than 100 Election Day polling sites and reduced the number of early voting locations for the November election.
The commissioners voted 3-2, along party lines, to cut the number of places to cast ballots to 216 — down from 331 in 2023, the last odd-numbered November election.
The vote came after more than two hours of debate over what cutting locations would mean and concerns from the public that the reductions amounted to voter suppression of Black, Hispanic and college-age voters.
During the meeting, several speakers called the cuts a more extreme version of Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare’s failed effort to remove eight early voting locations at colleges last year.
County officials said the move was to save money as they historically see low voter turnout in nonpresidential elections.
Along with November Election Day voting locations, the initial list of sites reduced the number of early voting places to 24, most of which were located in northeastern suburban neighborhoods and cities outside the 820 Loop, and none of which were located on college campuses. Commissioners ultimately added nine sites for a total of 33 early voting locations, down from 44 two years ago.
Democratic commissioners Roderick Miles Jr. and Alisa Simmons voted against the reduction in voting sites. They also unsuccessfully tried to delay the decision.
Miles and Simmons — joined by about 40 speakers in attendance who had one minute to make public comments — decried the reduction of sites.
“Everybody deserves the right to have a place that they are comfortable with and familiar with to go and to cast their vote,” said Miles, who represents predominantly Black neighborhoods that saw a reduction in voting locations. He later added, “To dismantle or take those rights away from us that we worked hard to get is unacceptable at any level.”
Elections Administrator Clinton Ludwig told commissioners that the initially proposed cuts aimed to save about $1 million. He based the reductions on voter turnout in 2023, which saw about 12.5% registered voters cast ballots, he said.
Locations’ accessibility and ability to securely store voting information were also considered, Ludwig said.
Simmons said it was inappropriate to reduce voting locations as Tarrant County’s population grows.
She pointed out that the Republican members of the court used that growth as a reason to redistrict precincts mid-cycle earlier this year — a redrawing that would significantly increase the chances of a GOP candidate winning election against her in 2026.
Tarrant County Commissioner Alisa Simmons speaks against reducing polling sites at an Aug. 19, 2025, meeting at the Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building. (Drew Shaw | Fort Worth Report)
Miles said that ensuring accessibility is the court’s responsibility and that the court should be focused on making it easier to vote, not harder.
Electionss administrator defends reductions
Balancing efficiency and access was front of mind for Commissioner Manny Ramirez, he said. He and Commissioner Matt Krause, both Republicans, joined the Democrats to amend the list and add the nine locations. O’Hare was the lone dissenting vote.
Ramirez said that in denser places like central Fort Worth, each neighborhood can feel like a different city, and he doesn’t support cutting established, popular voting locations in them.
“The formula for where you put these voting sites has to be scientific,” he told the Report on Monday. “It should be population-based and proximity to additional site-based.”
Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez speaks with county staff before an Aug. 19, 2025, meeting at the Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building. (Drew Shaw | Fort Worth Report)
Ludwig said the scaled-back sites accommodate Tarrant County’s growth while aiming to be efficient. He said no commissioner had any influence on the list and that no partisan analysis was taken into account.
He calculated it would take 12 locations across the county to handle the busiest day of early voting, and 80 for Election Day. It costs about $10,300 to run a voting center, he said.
“We went back and looked and said, ‘OK, if 12 (can) handle it, how do we make cuts? How do we make sure we have the best location?’” he said.
A new Texas law reduces the county’s minimum Election Day voting locations to 212 — rolling back a 2023 requirement of 347.
Ludwig said the county’s sites meet the state’s new “bare minimum,” with “a little bit of wiggle room” in case certain planned locations fall through.
The average distance between locations was 4.5 miles, he said.
Krause told Ludwig he appreciated that the list was “driven by pure voter turnout” and tried to find the “most efficient” way to handle the election.
Which early voting centers did commissioners add?
The Tarrant County commissioners reduced the number of early voting locations for November’s election to 33. They initially were set to approve 24 sites but added nine.
- Como Community Center
- Legacy Learning Center in Haslet
- Tarrant County College Northwest Campus
- Charles Griffin Building
- Tarrant County North East Courthouse
- Bob Duncan Center
- Tarrant County College Southeast Campus
- Vernon Newsom Stadium
- Kennedale’s Dover Fellowship Hall
Fewer locations, fewer voters
Fewer voting sites means fewer voters, Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston, told the Report in a Monday interview.
“If you move a polling place farther away from someone’s house, then they’re less likely to vote because you’ve increased the cost of voting,” said Rottinghaus, who has studied poll placement and its impact on turnout. “The cost can be your time. It can be your gas.”
November’s ballot includes several proposed constitutional amendments and a special election in parts of Tarrant County to replace former state Sen. 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.
Rottinghaus said some counties “yo-yo” year-to-year in the number of polling places they have. Constitutional elections, such as November’s, typically have fewer locations than presidential and midterm elections, he said. Still, Tarrant County’s reduction seems “aggressive,” he said.
Once the number of polling places goes down, it usually stays down, Rottinghaus said.
“You’re going to generally see that same number continue for at least the near term,” he said.
Residents speak against cutting voting sites
All but one speaker spoke against the reductions during nearly two hours of public comments.
Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare addresses a speaker at an Aug. 19, 2025, Tarrant County Commissioners Court meeting at the Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building. (Drew Shaw | Fort Worth Report)
Sabrina Ball said she has worked as an election judge in Republican County Commissioner Manny Ramirez’s district in Northwest Tarrant County. She’s seen firsthand people working hard to find the time to get to a polling location and vote.
“You’re not saving money. You’re sacrificing democracy to save a buck,” she said.
Some said the cuts amounted to creating voting deserts in communities of color.
Leon Reed said Republican commissioners will face a “vicious snapback” if they continue to stretch Tarrant County farther to the right.
Fort Worth City Council members speak against the reduction
In the lead-up to the vote, several Fort Worth City Council members urged their constituents to speak against the effort.
Council member Carlos Flores, who represents parts of northwest Fort Worth and the Stockyards, including the Northside neighborhood, issued a statement against the vote, saying fewer sites negatively impact diverse communities. In a statement to the Report, he added that limited polling locations and inconvenient voting procedures contribute to low turnout.
Council member Carlos Flores asks a question June 17, 2025, during a City Council work session at Fort Worth City Hall. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)
Mia Hall, who represents southwest Fort Worth and the Como neighborhood, sent a news release to her district on Monday, decrying the proposed cuts near Lake Como, Southside and Northside — all predominantly Black or Hispanic neighborhoods.
“These communities have long fought for equitable access to the ballot box, and removing their polling locations is simply unacceptable,” Hall wrote. “While I understand the pressures of state regulations and budgetary constraints, disenfranchising entire communities is not an acceptable response.”
City Council member Mia Hall speaks during a special meeting Aug. 5, 2025, at Fort Worth City Hall. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)
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. 20 to Oct. 31.
What’s on the ballot this November?
Texas voters will cast ballots for 17 constitutional amendments passed over the year’s legislative session, including:
- Several amendments boosting the homestead exemption, including one raising the exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district from $100,000 to $140,000.
- Permanently prohibiting the state government from imposing any tax on capital gains, whether realized or unrealized.
- Under specific conditions, authorizing judges to deny bail to people charged with serious felonies, including murder, aggravated assault and human trafficking.
- Devoting up to $1 billion a year in sales tax revenue to a new Texas Water Fund to support water infrastructure projects.
- A clarification that a voter must be a United States citizen.
- Enshrining into the constitution the inherent right of parents to care for and make decisions about raising their children, restricting the authority of state and local governments to be involved in a child’s upbringing.
In a special election:
- Residents of Texas Senate District 9 will see a special election to replace former state Sen. Kelly Hancock.
Editor’s note: This story was updated 7:09 p.m. to clarify all but one speaker spoke against the reduction in polling locations during public comments.
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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