Fort Worth residents will vote on Nov. 3 using the reduced list of polling locations approved by Tarrant County commissioners, after Judge J. Patrick Gallagher denied a temporary injunction that sought to reinstate 92 sites eliminated in September.
According to the Fort Worth Report, the lawsuit was filed by four local officials—Deborah Peoples, Camille Rodriguez, Kathleen Hicks and Maryellen Hicks—who argued that the cuts would disproportionately affect Black and Latino voters in minority‑majority ZIP codes. The plaintiffs asked the court to restore the 92 sites for Election Day, but after more than four hours of testimony, Judge Gallagher declined to grant the request and did not dismiss the underlying case.
Fox 4 reported that the county commissioners voted 3‑2 to close the sites, leaving 224 polling places for the 2026 midterm elections, down from 316 used in 2022. The decision also reduced early‑voting locations from 50 to 47. County elections administrator Clint Ludwig testified that reopening the sites would have prevented staff from meeting state‑mandated deadlines to reprogram and test voting machines before early voting begins on Oct. 19.
Proponents of the reduction highlighted fiscal benefits. Fox 4 noted that Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare said the county would save roughly $1 million in taxpayer money, and that low turnout at several sites during the 2024 elections informed the decision. Ludwig added that while the cuts did save dollars, his office did not explore alternative cost‑saving measures before proposing the reduction.
Critics, including the four plaintiffs and community members, contend the closures amount to voter suppression. The Fort Worth Report described testimony that the eliminated sites were concentrated in areas with higher percentages of Black and Latino residents, many of whom rely on public transportation, have limited childcare options, or work long hours. Commissioner Roderick Miles, quoted by Fox 4, warned that “the people who have cars, the people who have money for bus fares, and the people who don’t… all need to have the ability to vote.”
During the hearing, Assistant District Attorney Stephen Lund argued that the case faced jurisdictional problems and urged the judge to dismiss it entirely. He also emphasized that reinstating the sites would disrupt election operations.
What’s next: Early voting in Tarrant County is scheduled to begin on Oct. 19, with the statewide and national elections set for Nov. 3. The reduced list of 224 polling sites will remain in effect unless the lawsuit is resolved before Election Day.
Sources: fortworthreport.org, fox4news.com
