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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A plan in one of Texas’ largest counties to use dozens fewer polling locations than in previous years is drawing protests from Democrats who say the reductions could create confusion in the November midterm elections.
The proposal, set for a vote Tuesday, would reduce the number of polling locations across booming Tarrant County, which borders Dallas and includes Fort Worth. County officials say the plan would save resources by eliminating low-turnout sites, noting voters would still have more than 200 locations where they could cast ballots.
Texas’ third-largest county is home to more than 2 million people and a key battleground in the U.S. Senate race between Democratic state Rep. James Talarico and Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. On Sunday, Talarico urged the county to reject the proposal.
“The most powerful people in this county, the most powerful people in this country, don’t want us to be able vote easily,” Talarico said at a news conference.
If the plan is approved, Tarrant County would have 92 fewer polling locations on Election Day than it did during the 2022 midterms.
Closing polling locations in Texas is not a new trend, county elections officials say. The trend has been accelerated by an embrace of countywide voting sites and the difficulty in recruiting poll workers. Other Texas counties have also considered or already reduced the number of polling locations for November while some have added more.
“We’re clearly not trying to suppress the vote,” Rep. Matt Shaheen, the Republican chairman of the House Elections Committee, said of polling site reductions in Texas. “That’s a silly accusation.”
Tarrant County Elections Administrator Clint Ludwig has said the reductions would allow the county to eliminate locations that serve few people.
Locations near bus stops that complied with federal accessibility laws were prioritized to remain open, according to a county statement. Officials said the average distance between Election Day sites under the plan was 1.5 mile (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, a Republican and the county’s top administrator.
Spokespeople for Paxton did not respond to emails seeking comment.