Tarrant County’s November elections will have 92 fewer places to cast ballots than 2022 – Fort Worth Report

Tarrant County’s November elections will have 92 fewer places to cast ballots than 2022  Fort Worth Report

County commissioners approved a list of sites that drew criticism from voting rights advocates and local civic groups. Tarrant County commissioners voted 3-2 Tuesday to approve a list of polling sites for the November elections that included 92 fewer sites than the 2022 midterms. The approval came after commissioners heard testimony from more than 100 speakers, the majority of whom were opposed to the site cuts, during a meeting that lasted over eight hours. Voting rights advocates and representatives of 30 civic groups rallied outside the county courthouse Tuesday morning, demanding that commissioners approve a list with the same number of sites as the 2022 midterms. The adopted list includes 224 sites for Election Day and 47 for early voting.

The 2022 list included 316 Election Day sites and 50 for early voting. “I’m confident that what is proposed is going to give everybody that wants to vote the opportunity to vote,” said county elections administrator Clint Ludwig, who proposed the reduction. Commissioners voted along party lines, with Republicans — County Judge Tim O’Hare and commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez — supporting the list, and Democratic commissioners Alisa Simmons and Roderick Miles Jr. voting against. ✨ Getting the full story takes timeIt also takes all of us. It's only possible with your support. “It’s not about cost. This is