FORT WORTH, Texas \u2014 Tarrant County commissioners approved the number of Election Day polling sites for November, which will be 92 fewer than in the 2022 midterm elections despite public backlash. The vote was 3-2, with the two Democratic commissioners voting against the measure.<\/p>\n
Tarrant County election officials have said the decision was driven by cost and low voter turnout.<\/p>\n
Last month, the Commissioners Court considered a proposal that would have seen polling locations drop from 316 in 2022 to 176 this year \u2014 a 45% decrease. The issue was postponed until Tuesday\u2019s meeting. Protesters lined the halls and spoke out against the proposal, which even led to a former Democratic state representative being arrested<\/a>.<\/p>\n During the August meeting, Tarrant County Judge Tim O\u2019Hare, a Republican, said he was \u201cnot comfortable with 176 election sites,\u201d calling it \u201cway too large a cut.\u201d<\/p>\n The proposal approved on Tuesday will see 224 polling locations on Election Day in November, a 30% decrease.<\/p>\n Last year, the Commissioners Court voted to eliminate over 100 polling locations for the November Election Day. The vote was along party lines, with the Republicans voting in favor and the Democratic commissioners voting against.<\/p>\n According to U.S. Census Bureau data<\/a>, Tarrant County has seen a 6.5% increase in population from 2020 to 2025.<\/p>\n