\n he Islamic Association of North Texas at 840 Abrams Road in Richardson has served as a Dallas County vote center. | Image by Michael Barera\/Wikimedia Commons. <\/p>\n
Dallas County Commissioner Andy Sommerman<\/a> (D-District 2) is facing criticism over past remarks in which he touted his role in establishing polling locations at three mosques and said new voters at the sites overwhelmingly backed Democrats and helped elect a local Democratic judge.<\/p>\n The original Facebook post carrying the video is no longer publicly available. The Dallas Express reviewed a copy supplied by Barry Wernick, the Republican nominee challenging Sommerman in District 2, through a campaign research site<\/a>. An August 28 X post<\/a> preserves the recording. The archived material identifies the original as a 2025 post by Syed Bilal Gillani.<\/p>\n \u201cAnother place that I have opened up is three mosques, I want you to think about that for a moment, three mosques have been opened up since I have been there,\u201d Sommerman said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat difference does that make?\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n Sommerman said 1,689 people had voted at mosques for the first time during the previous election and called the participation a \u201chuge turnaround.\u201d He linked those voters to Democratic electoral gains.<\/p>\n \u201cAlmost every one of these new voters voted democrat, we know that,\u201d Sommerman said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat means that those mosques and those new voters were the difference in making sure that Tina Clinton was elected,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n The Dallas Express could not independently verify Sommerman\u2019s claims about the 1,689 voters, their voting preferences or their effect on Clinton\u2019s election.<\/p>\n What the records show<\/p>\n Official Dallas County location reports<\/a> show voters cast 12,040 ballots at the three vote centers during early voting and on Election Day<\/a> in November 2024. In the Fifth Court of Appeals Place 9 race, Clinton received 7,322 votes at the three centers, while Republican Matthew Kolodoski received 3,642.<\/p>\n Clinton won the race districtwide by 1,596 votes, the final results<\/a> show. The aggregate location totals establish that Clinton won more votes at those centers, but they do not identify first-time voters, reveal any individual ballot or establish that placing vote centers at mosques caused her victory.<\/p>\n Dallas County operates countywide vote centers, meaning any registered county voter may use any center. Ballots cast at a mosque therefore do not establish a voter\u2019s religious affiliation, according to state guidance<\/a>.<\/p>\n Three mosque polling locations<\/p>\n The three locations Sommerman took credit for helping establish are the Islamic Association of North Texas in Richardson, Makkah Masjid IDEA in Garland and Madinah Masjid of Carrollton. At least two publicly promoted their status as polling locations.<\/p>\n The IANT post<\/a> promoted voting in the City of Richardson\u2019s 2023 election.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you know that tomorrow is election day for the City of Richardson. Best of all \u2013 IANT IS A POLLING CENTER, from 7AM to 7PM!\u201d the Islamic Association of North Texas stated.<\/p>\n IANT also directed followers to resources for checking their voter registration and viewing their ballots.<\/p>\n A Madinah post<\/a> promoted the mosque\u2019s designation as a Dallas County polling location ahead of the 2024 presidential election.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Management of Madinah Masjid of Carrollton is pleased to announce to be a part of the upcoming elections for this year and coming years as a registered Polling Station by Dallas County for those who live in Dallas County,\u201d a Facebook post by Samina Iftekhar Ahmed stated on behalf of the mosque\u2019s management.<\/p>\n The post said the Dallas County Elections Department prepared the location for early voting from October 21 through November 1, 2024, followed by Election Day on November 5.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease cast your vote as your vote is your voice & power,\u201d the post stated.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease choose the Madinah Masjid of Carrollton as a Polling Station near your place,\u201d the post continued. \u201cPlease share this information with others.\u201d<\/p>\n The posts promoted voter participation and the mosques\u2019 availability as polling locations. Based on the language reviewed by The Dallas Express, neither post endorsed a candidate or political party.<\/p>\n Sommerman connects mosque voting to Democratic victory<\/p>\n Wernick criticized Sommerman\u2019s statements in an August 26<\/a> campaign release, accusing the commissioner of supporting the polling locations for partisan political benefit.<\/p>\n \u201cPolling locations should be chosen for convenience, accessibility, and impartiality \u2014 not turned into political weapons,\u201d Wernick said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not about access. This is about manufacturing a reliable bloc of votes for himself and his party,\u201d Wernick added. \u201cIt\u2019s a disgraceful abuse of official power.\u201d<\/p>\n Wernick\u2019s statements represent his characterization of Sommerman\u2019s actions. Sommerman\u2019s remarks show that he believed the mosque polling locations benefited Democratic candidates, but the remarks alone do not establish that county officials originally selected the sites for partisan purposes.<\/p>\n IANT hosted \u2018From Marxism to Islam\u2019 event<\/p>\n Wernick\u2019s campaign also cited a separate May 2, 2025, event at IANT titled \u201cFrom Marxism to Islam: The Revolutionary Road to Allah.\u201d Speakers discussed moving from Marxist political movements to Islam, Amy Mek, an investigative journalist with RAIR Foundation, reported<\/a>. The report and Wernick\u2019s release identified the Islamic Circle of North America Dallas as the event\u2019s organizer.<\/p>\n Wernick used the event to criticize Sommerman\u2019s support for establishing IANT as a polling location.<\/p>\n \u201cSommerman used his office to turn these institutions into vote centers for political gain, then stayed silent when one of them platformed people who openly reject American and Texas values,\u201d Wernick said.<\/p>\n The religious event was separate from election administration at IANT. Its existence does not establish that voting conducted at the mosque was partisan.<\/p>\n Republican challenger calls for changes<\/p>\n Wernick called on the Dallas County Elections Department to discontinue using the three mosque locations as vote centers.<\/p>\n \u201cOur elections must be fair and impartial. Sommerman\u2019s actions are the opposite,\u201d Wernick said. \u201cVoters deserve a watchdog who will protect the integrity of our elections \u2014 not exploit them.\u201d<\/p>\n The Texas Election Code<\/a> directs counties to use a public building as a polling place when practicable and permits a private building when a suitable public building is unavailable. The law does not categorically prohibit religious facilities from serving as polling places.<\/p>\n