Overview
- Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare ordered the public removed from the commissioners court and had a protester arrested during a heated meeting on Tuesday as officials debated a plan to shrink polling places.
- The proposal under consideration would cut Election Day sites from 316 in 2022 to 176 and reduce early-voting locations from 50 to 42 for the November 2026 midterms.
- Supporters argue consolidation would save about $1 million and reflect lower turnout in nonpresidential elections, while Democratic commissioners and voting-rights groups say the cuts would make voting harder for communities that already face barriers.
- Video posted by local outlets and advocacy groups showed an African American voter being cut off mid-testimony and at least one person physically removed, fueling public scrutiny and widespread coverage of the clash.
- If approved, the change would affect more than 1.3 million registered voters in the county and could reshape travel times and lines during early voting (scheduled Oct. 19–30) and on Election Day; commissioners delayed a final vote and said they will revisit the plan at a later meeting.