Shining a Light on Voter Suppression in Texas

by Lupe

Register Her Contributor

Tarrant County Commissioners Court Takeaways - Aug 19, 2025

Following the Texas Senate's approval of a radically gerrymandered GOP congressional map, Tarrant County, ground zero for the gerrymandering, just delivered another critical blow to voting access. Just last week, Tarrant County approved the cut to over 100 Election Day polling sites and a significant reduction in the number of early voting locations after a public hearing. With the cutting of these polling places comes longer lines to vote, more confusion, and less trust in the voting system and its officials. With over 30 community members in attendance to speak out against the cuts to the number of polling sites, a common theme of disapproval towards elected officials’ actions emerged: 

• Community member Stacy M. stated,  “You didn’t care when you racially gerrymandered our precinct maps, and you don’t really care now…We know that the reason y’all are doing this is because you’re scared, you’re scared of the reckoning that is coming for you in 2026, and you should be…I hope that you’re scared because we’re coming for your seats in 2026.”

• Jerry S. says, “When you cut off the ability for people to express their views peacefully…there are less than peaceful actions. Don’t cut off people’s peaceful expression of their views.”

• Donna R claims, “Instead of fulfilling your duty to safeguard fair elections, you’re focused on delivering the same sad punchlines over and over: Play party politics, disenfranchise voters, target communities of color. When officials manipulate who gets to vote, who gets streamlined of a process, and who gets stuck at the back of the line, it's not honorable, it's cowardly. It’s fixing the game before it's played, just so you don't have to face a fair fight.”

• Dorthy D claims, “When polling places move further away, seniors without cars and students relying on public transit face longer, more burdensome trips just to cast their vote. You are making it harder to vote, that discourages participation in silenced neighborhoods that rightfully deserve strong representation. Tarrant County is growing; our access to democracy must grow with it, not shrink.”

In the same meeting to discuss access to voting, Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare stated, “I don’t believe it’s the county government’s responsibility to try to get more people out to the polls.” The approval to cut 100 Election Day polling sites was won with a 3-2 vote. 

Register Her is calling on all eligible citizens to denounce the actions of elected officials who seek to restrict eligible citizens’ voting rights and to shine a light on their actions.