Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tarrant County approves Jan. 31 runoff polling and early‑voting sites after heated debate
Summary
Commissioners approved proposed election‑day polling sites and an early‑voting schedule for the Jan. 31, 2026 runoff after a contentious debate over restoring previously used polling places. Amendments to restore all prior locations failed; staff added Grapevine Public Library to the early‑voting list.
Tarrant County’s Commissioners Court voted this week to approve election‑day polling locations and an early‑voting schedule for the Jan. 31 special runoff, rejecting an amendment to restore all sites used in November and instead adopting a slightly amended list that adds Grapevine Public Library.
Clint Ludwig, the county’s elections administrator, told the court his office compiled data on wait times and access from the Nov. 2025 elections and proposed a set of voting sites that comply with state law and precinct balancing requirements. He said average early‑voting distance in November was 4.4 miles and that countywide Election Day average wait times were roughly 7 minutes, 52 seconds, based on nearly 18,000 data points.
Commissioner Alisa Simmons moved to amend the motion to restore every polling site used in November; that amendment failed 2–3. Commissioners then approved the county’s proposed election‑day locations unanimously. During debate, commissioners and community speakers highlighted long Election Day lines at several large sites, problems with the Secretary of State’s polling lookup during the November election, and concerns that reduced site counts can disproportionately affect some neighborhoods.
On a related motion to approve early‑voting dates and locations, commissioners amended the list to add Grapevine Public Library; that amendment passed 3–0 with two commissioners abstaining. The court approved the amended early‑voting schedule 3–0 with two abstentions.
Elections staff said they contacted the Secretary of State when a software upload error caused polling‑place lookups to show incorrect sites on Election Day. A county analysis cited specific locations with longer waits and reiterated that voters can use online tools and alternate nearby sites to avoid lines.
The court set the special runoff order and the associated early voting schedule and polling locations. Commissioners asked elections staff to provide further post‑election reports and to continue outreach to affected communities.
