Students pivot after UT Arlington polling location removed

ARLINGTON, Texas — More than 1 million voters live in Tarrant County, where there are now fewer places to cast a ballot. 

County officials removed 92 polling locations, one of which is the Maverick Activity Center at the University of Texas at Arlington. 

Students are figuring out transportation with on-campus organizations to get them to the polls. 

“This isn’t red or blue, to the left or right. This is about your right. This is your constitutional right to vote,” said student body president Andres Morales.

UTA students are still in shock that their on-campus polling location was removed.

“A poll that’s such an easy access to be taken away. Not only feels disrespectful, but it feels like a robbery,” said Tyler Young, a sophomore at UTA. 

In September, Tarrant County commissioners voted to reduce Election Day voting locations by nearly 29%, from 316 to 224 locations. County officials also reduced the number of early voting sites, from 50 to 47.

“The justification behind pulling UTA’s polling location was that was just too expensive to maintain,” says Trevor McCullough, who is the student government chief of staff.

Spectrum News 1 has learned that the UTA polling location was removed not because of cost, but because there were classes being held at the same time during early voting, according to County Elections Administrator Clint Ludwig.

“They had classes that were scheduled in that room during the early voting period, and they would have to see if they would be able to move them,” Ludwig said at a September Tarrant County Commisioners Court meeting.

He said UTA didn’t finalize any details, so it was removed. 

“There were several options that they had discussed, and he never said, ‘We will do this.’ And he said he would get back to me with what the final decision was. And that did not occur until I received an email on Saturday,” he said. 

With the campus’ Maverick Activity Center removed as a voting location, the closest polling location is now a mile away, at a county sub-courthouse.

McCullough walked 20 minutes to get there last year, when UTA was removed as an early voting location.

“I walked to them two miles of going from my dorm to the polling location. And all I can say is, if you think that, you know, taking it off of a college campus because there’s one that you think is close enough, I’d encourage you to walk a mile,” said McCullough. 

To help students get to the polls, many on-campus organizations are providing rides.

“I feel like all of us are really cohesive, that we’re trying to get everybody to the polls,” said UTA student Ryan Charlton.

“A community effort. It’s not just a matter of where the polls are. You know how to vote. It’s a matter of what does your vote truly mean,” said senior Dylan Thomas. 

During early voting and on Election Day, the City of Arlington is providing free rides for students and for anyone who needs a ride to a polling location.