Tarrant County approves reducing number of polling sites ahead of 2026 midterms

The Tarrant County Commissioners Court has approved a plan to reduce the number of polling sites in the county.Tarrant County cuts voting sitesThe Tarrant County Commissioners Court voted 3-2, down party lines, to approve a plan to cut the number of polling sites in the county to 224. That's down from the 312 total polling sites the county had for the 2022 midterm elections.Among the voting sites that were cut is a site on the campus of the University of Texas at Arlington.Proponents of the move, including Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare, say the county would save $1 million in taxpayer money. Low turnout at certain sites during the 2024 elections was also cited as a reason for the potential closure.Critics of the proposed move say it amounts to voter suppression, with many of the locations that would be shuttered being located in areas where residents are mainly people of color.Opponents also questioned the urgent need to save taxpayer money. Tarrant County is currently on record as h