AUSTIN, Texas \u2014 Kiyah Jackson was looking forward to the five minute walk to vote at the University of Texas, Arlington.<\/p>\n
A sophomore business major, Jackson was excited to cast a ballot in her first election: the November midterms, headlined by the competitive Senate race between Democratic state Rep. James Talarico and Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton.<\/p>\n
But recently, Jackson learned voting on campus during early voting would be impossible as Tarrant County commissioners voted Sept. 1 to remove the school\u2019s only polling location for the early voting period during the midterm elections, arguing it was too close to another polling site.<\/p>\n
That decision upended Jackson\u2019s voting plans. The news frustrated Jackson, who doesn\u2019t have a car and is trying to figure out if she can get a ride to another polling location. The nearest polling location to the campus for early voting will be one mile away \u2013 about a 20-minute walk.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t have money to get an Uber or to constantly chip in for gas, but I have no other choice,\u201d Jackson said. \u201cSo it\u2019s either I don\u2019t vote or I lose money, but I can\u2019t just not vote because then nothing\u2019s going to change.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her concerns come as Texans face another voting deadline: Monday is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 3 election. Early voting begins Oct. 19.<\/p>\n
Last month, Tarrant County commissioners voted to slash the number of voting locations to 224 for the Nov. 3 election, down from the 316 that were used in the 2022 midterms. Commissioners also reduced the number of early voting sites, from 50 to 47.<\/p>\n
Democrats accused county leaders of voter suppression and trying to boost Republicans\u2019 chances in the midterms. Republicans disagreed, saying they made the change because some polling sites were too close to one another.<\/p>\n
On Friday, Fort Worth City Council member Deborah Peoples, acting as a private citizen, sued Tarrant County commissioners over the elimination of the 92 voting locations and asked a judge to stop the current locations from being used.<\/p>\n
Tarrant County Judge Tim O\u2019Hare said in the Sept. 1 meeting that in the 2024 election, some voting locations saw few voters.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had polling locations where almost no one showed up all day long in the most recent general election with multiple candidates on the ballot,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s a convenient fact that everyone wants to leave out.\u201d<\/p>\n
O\u2019Hare did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n
Once a reliable GOP stronghold, Tarrant County has become a battleground county in recent elections. Democrats are fighting to flip Texas blue \u2013 focusing mainly on the Senate race, but eyeing other statewide races that could turn out to be competitive. Whichever party carries Tarrant County, and by how much, could be a key factor in determining the winner.<\/p>\n
The voting site at UT Arlington has overwhelmingly voted for Democrats in the most recent elections. In 2022, the site supported Beto O\u2019Rourke over Gov. Greg Abbott 80% to 18%. In 2024, the site voted for Vice President Kamala Harris over President Donald Trump 70% to 27%.<\/p>\n
Republican commissioners said students would still be able to vote at the nearby Tarrant County subcourthouse in Arlington.<\/p>\n
Jackson disagreed that the site one mile off campus will be a suitable replacement for the university\u2019s students.<\/p>\n
The distance to the subcourthouse varies depending on where students live or spend time on campus. It ranges from about a half-mile walk to nearly two miles.<\/p>\n
Jackson didn\u2019t see a problem with having polling locations that were near one another.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy does that matter if the whole thing is we\u2019re supposed to be voting?\u201d Jackson asked. \u201cIt shouldn\u2019t matter how close it is to another location if, either way, you\u2019re still getting people to vote.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kayla Gillespie, a junior exercise science major, said students have busy schedules, and carving out 20 or 30 minutes to walk to vote could lead to some just not casting a ballot.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou really have to find time, take time out of your day to walk a mile, and then walk a mile back to where you stay on campus,\u201d Gillespie said.<\/p>\n
The polling location at the Maverick Activities Center was convenient for students, Gillespie said, giving them the chance to vote as they were on their way to work out, play pickup basketball or if they happened to see a short line while walking to class.<\/p>\n
Brianna Brown, the executive director of the Texas Organizing Project, which works to organize Black and Latino voters, said the Republican commissioners are attempting to make it easier for Republicans to vote.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are trying to decide who their voters are versus figuring out a way to make voting as easy as possible and really encourage participation,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n
Clinton Ludwig, the elections administrator for Tarrant County, told commissioners he removed some of the university locations because they were too close to other polling locations or the space was not available.<\/p>\n
Ludwig said he was not available for an interview.<\/p>\n
Tarrant County will have three college or university campuses as polling locations for the November election \u2013 two for early voting and three for Election Day.<\/p>\n
UT Arlington will not be one of those places.<\/p>\n
Tarrant County College\u2019s Southeast campus and the Northwest campus will still be used. Those two places had the 2nd and 3rd highest turnout in the 2022 election, among campus early voting locations.<\/p>\n
\u2014How to register to vote in Texas<\/p>\n
Texans who want to vote in the Nov. 3 midterm election must register by Monday, Oct. 5, according to the Texas secretary of state\u2019s office\u2060. Here\u2019s what to know before the deadline.<\/p>\n
\u2014Am I registered to vote?<\/p>\n
Visit the state\u2019s \u201cAm I Registered?\u201d page\u2060 to check your status through the My Voter Portal. If you have moved or changed your name since you last voted, review your registration information.<\/p>\n