FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Tarrant County officials have proposed reducing the number of polling locations for the November midterm elections. The Tarrant County Commissioners Court is scheduled to vote on the polling location proposal on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

Tarrant County Elections Administrator Clint Ludwig stated that the reductions would allow the county to eliminate locations that serve few people. According to a county statement, locations near bus stops that comply with federal accessibility laws were prioritized to remain open.

County officials stated that the average distance between Election Day sites under the plan is 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers). "All of this is accomplished without the wasteful practice of placing polling sites directly across the street from one other," said Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare.

Why It Matters

Tarrant County has a population of more than 2 million people. Approximately one-third of Tarrant County residents are Hispanic, and 19.2% are Black, according to Census data. Texas law allows each of the state’s 254 counties to determine the number of polling places used in elections.

Timeline

Tarrant County adopted countywide voting in 2019. Texas has scheduled a special election on November 4, 2025, to fill the U.S. House of Representatives seat in the 18th Congressional District held by the late Representative Sylvester Turner.

The NAACP and the American Civil Liberties Union joined voting rights groups in signing a letter on Friday, August 28, 2026, urging Tarrant County to reject the proposal. The letter from voting rights groups stated that the polling place closures would be strongly felt in areas with high percentages of minority voters. Democratic state Representative James Talarico urged Tarrant County to reject the polling location reduction proposal at a news conference on Sunday, August 30, 2026.

"The most powerful people in this county, the most powerful people in this country, don’t want us to be able vote easily," said James Talarico.

What's New

The new plan adds 48 additional Election Day polling locations to the previous proposal, including 12 in each commissioner’s precinct, and adds five additional early voting locations. The new plan exceeds the minimum Election Day polling locations by 54 sites. An earlier proposal would have reduced the number of Election Day voting locations from 316 in 2022 to 176 in 2026, and early voting sites from 50 in 2022 to 42 in 2026.

How Sources Differ

Clint Ludwig stated that the reductions would allow the county to eliminate locations that serve few people, while additional reporting noted that the Tarrant County elections administrator proposed 224 potential Election Day polling places and 47 early voting polling places for the November 3 midterm. The Tarrant County Elections Administration proposal stated that under the proposed plan, Tarrant County would maintain more than 200 polling locations for Election Day, whereas additional reporting specified the proposal of 224 potential Election Day polling places.

The Tarrant County Elections Administration proposal stated that under the proposed plan, Tarrant County would maintain more than 200 polling locations for Election Day, while additional reporting noted that the new plan adds 48 additional Election Day polling locations to the previous proposal, including 12 in each commissioner’s precinct, and adds five additional early voting locations. The Tarrant County Elections Administration proposal stated that under the proposed plan, Tarrant County would maintain more than 200 polling locations for Election Day, while additional reporting noted that the new plan exceeds the minimum Election Day polling locations by 54 sites.

Additional reporting noted that the Tarrant County elections administrator proposed 224 potential Election Day polling places and 47 early voting polling places for the November 3 midterm, while the Tarrant County Elections Administration proposal stated that if approved, the plan would reduce the number of polling locations in Tarrant County by 92 compared to the 2022 midterm elections. Additional reporting noted that the Tarrant County elections administrator proposed 224 potential Election Day polling places and 47 early voting polling places for the November 3 midterm, while the Tarrant County Elections Administration proposal stated that Tarrant County officials have proposed reducing the number of polling locations for the November midterm elections.