Amid public outcry, Texas county cuts polling locations ahead of 2026 midterms

Officials in Texas' third most populous county voted on Tuesday to reduce polling locations by 92.

The move will see Tarrant County's voting sites reduced from 316 in the 2022 midterm elections to 224 for this year's elections.

Tuesday's vote took place during a meeting of the five-member Commissioner's Court, which is the governing body of the county .

It came amid public outcry from dozens of residents opposing the measure during public meetings over the past month.

"People have fought and died for the right to vote," Tarrant County resident Catherine Godby said.

"You're on the wrong side of history," she said. "You're dishonoring what it means to be an American, and more than that, you're losing your humanity."

Democratic commissioners Alisa Simmons and Rodrick Miles Jr. voted against the cuts, while the Republicans on the court -- County Judge Tim O'Hare and commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez -- voted for the proposal.

The vote on Tuesday came a year after the board approved a proposal that cut nearly half of all early voting locations in the county ahead of 2025 election, according to Dallas ABC station WFAA.

Republicans in favor of the measure argued that the number of polling locations after the cuts would still meet the mandatory minimum. They also cited efforts to cut costs, citing low voter turnout at various polling locations.

O'Hare, who vote for the measure, told ABC News in a statement on Monday that under the new proposal, there will still be 54 polling places that exceed the statutory minimum for Election Day.

"The updated plan averages 2.85 miles between early voting locations and 1.56 miles between Election Day polling locations. All of this is accomplished without the wasteful practice of placing polling sites directly across the street from one another," O'Hare said.

The county judge said "some locations changed for practical reasons," including some buildings no longer operating and some not meeting Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.

"State law also requires early voting equipment to be stored in a locked room," he added. "Those are legislative requirements, and this county follows them. Every voter deserves a safe, accessible location with secure equipment, and this plan does that."

Miles, one of Democratic commissioners, told ABC News in a statement on Monday that he intends to oppose the proposal because it reduces polling locations overall.