Key Texas county votes to cut polling sites ahead of the midterms - NBC News

The three Republicans on the Tarrant County Commissioners Court approved the plan over protests from Democrats and voting rights advocates. Tarrant County, which includes Fort Worth, is Texas' third-largest county and has become increasingly competitive politically in recent cycles.

For people casting ballots this November, the math is straightforward: fewer locations spread across the county means longer drives and, likely, longer lines. One thing working in voters' favor is that Tarrant County uses a vote-center model, meaning residents can show up at any of the 224 remaining sites rather than being assigned to a specific precinct. That flexibility softens the cut somewhat, though critics argue it doesn't eliminate the burden of reduced access.

Lubbock voters won't feel this directly, but West Texas watches Tarrant closely. It's a bellwether county in statewide races, and how turnout shakes out there in November will ripple through every Texas election result.

The 92-site reduction is the largest single polling location cut in Tarrant County's recent history, at least compared to the 2022 midterm cycle.