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Talarico Protests as Texas Swing County Plans to Close 92 Polling Places
commondreams.org • • nation
Key Points:
- Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico is urging Tarrant County to reverse plans to close 92 polling places before the November midterms, arguing the closures would suppress voter turnout, especially in poorer and minority communities.
- Tarrant County, a key swing area, previously supported Democratic candidates narrowly, making the polling place reductions a contentious issue amid efforts to flip Texas in the Senate race.
- Republicans defending the closures cite cost savings, but past actions by county GOP officials suggest partisan motives, including attempts to reduce early voting sites on college campuses and cut free transportation to polls for low-income voters.
- Civil rights groups warn that the proposed closures disproportionately affect Black, Latino, and other minority voters, potentially disenfranchising significant portions of the electorate in majority-minority neighborhoods.
- Democratic officials, including Commissioner Alisa Simmons, criticize the plan as a drastic reduction from 2022 access levels and call for preserving voter accessibility ahead of the crucial midterm elections.
