Once again, Republicans are trying to win elections not by making constituents’ lives better but by rigging elections to stay in power. In this case, Texas’ Tarrant County commissioners voted to close 92 voting locations. That’s a roughly 30% reduction since the 2022 midterms.
It's easy to see why. “Historically a Republican stronghold, Tarrant County has emerged as a key battleground as voters narrowly supported Democratic candidates at the top of the statewide ballot in recent elections,” The Texas Tribune reported.
It also happens to be a crucial county for Democrats to win. Reporter Abby Livingston told MS Now Tuesday night, “It’s impossible for a Democrat to win Texas without winning Tarrant County.”
So, with Texas facing the real possibility that charismatic and popular James Talarico will beat the sleazy crook Ken Paxton to become the first Democratic U.S. senator from the state in decades, Tarrant County Republicans decided to cut nearly a hundred voting locations, with the lions’ share in places that have grown the most. In other words, in places that have made the county bluer.
The list of cuts includes a student voting location at the University of Texas at Arlington and in many majority-minority areas in Forth Worth and Arlington, voter-rights groups allege. “Research has found that each additional minute of travel time to a polling location can affect voter participation,” NBC News reported.
So, there is no doubt this is an effort to suppress Talarico votes.
Texans, the best antidote is to vote in overwhelming numbers and show these enemies of democracy the door. You can find everything you need to know here.
