🚨🚨O'Hare Moves To Remove Polling Sites From Tarrant Colleges On Thursday

Judge O'Hare’s latest tactic in restricting voting rights in Tarrant County.

For those in Tarrant County, calls to action are below.

A few days ago, when the Tarrant County Commissioners Court met, the Republicans and Democrats were evenly split on approving the early voting locations, as one Republican Commissioner was absent, and the other Republicans wanted to remove the early polling locations on college campuses. At the time, I speculated that the Republicans could wait until the Democrats were out of town this week to call a special hearing. Unfortunately, I was right.

Today, Republican County Judge Tim O’Hare announced his intent to hold a hearing on Thursday to discuss early voting locations.

Both Democrats on the court, Commissioner Simmons and Brooks, will be in Washington, DC, all week long for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Legislative Conference. They planned and had this event on the calendar for months. Which only makes last week’s vote and this special meeting more nefarious.

Last week’s meeting:

The election administrator’s new plans give the commissioners three options. (You can read more about those options here.)

Here is the gist of it:

• For Option #1, the University of Texas at Arlington, Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary, TCC South, and TCC Northeast have been removed as polling locations.

• For Option #2, Northside Community Center, Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary, TCC South, Worth Heights Community Center, and Vernon Newsom Stadium have been removed as polling locations.

• For Option #3, Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary, TCC South, and TCC Northeast have been removed as polling locations.

The idea is to remove polling locations near as many young and diverse people as possible.

Not only that, on Thursday, the Republicans on Tarrant County Commissioners Court also plan to discuss whether voter registration groups, like Battleground Texas, Jolt, and Texas Freedom Network, will be allowed to register voters in Tarrant County facilities.

The Republicans do not want to let voter registers set up inside county buildings to register voters and have previously told them they can only do so outside, not in the building.

As it turns out, registering voters is now a partisan activity, according to Republicans.

The two Democratic Commissioners may appear by Zoom, although this will have much less of an impact than their being there in person.

Texas Republicans are facing an increasingly diverse and shifting electorate that threatens their long-standing hold on power.

For decades, demographic changes in Texas have been moving toward a more diverse, younger, and urban population—groups that traditionally lean more Democratic. The fear of losing their majority has led Republicans to adopt strategies that suppress voter turnout, especially among communities of color, younger voters, and those in urban areas.

Judge Tim O’Hare, the Republican county judge of Tarrant County, is a key figure in this effort to stifle voter participation. He has supported policies and initiatives that reduce voting access, such as limiting the number of polling places in heavily Democratic areas and curbing access to mail-in voting. These actions are part of a broader strategy to cling to power by shrinking the electorate rather than expanding it.

By making it harder for people to vote, Republicans can artificially suppress the voter turnout that threatens their dominance. Instead of winning over voters with policies that reflect the needs and concerns of Texas’ diverse population, the strategy focuses on maintaining power by any means necessary—mainly by stopping as many people as possible from voting. This is not just a political strategy; it’s an attack on democracy itself, designed to keep the will of the people from being fully represented at the ballot box.

Tarrant County - Calls to ACTION (9/12 at 10 am).

🚨This is all hands on deck. If you are in Tarrant County or DFW and can make it to this Commissioners Court at 10 am on Thursday, 9/12, organizers need as many people to show up and testify against the removal of early voting locations on college campuses. We need to send a clear message that our voting rights are not up for debate.

But it doesn’t stop there. The fight continues, and we must remain vigilant. Judge Tim O’Hare will undoubtedly try to pull more tricks out of his sleeve before early voting begins. That’s why it’s critical for everyone to also show up to the regularly scheduled Commissioners Court meeting on 9/17. The more eyes we have on the process, the harder it becomes for them to push these undemocratic measures through unnoticed.

Together, we can make a difference. We’ve seen the power of showing up, and now, more than ever, our presence is needed to protect early voting, especially for our students. Bring your voice, bring your passion, and let’s let these Republicans know that we will not stand by silently while they strip away our voting rights.

• October 7: Last day to register to vote.

• October 21: First day to early vote.

• October 25: Last day to apply for a mail-in ballot.

• November 1: Last day to early vote.

• November 5: Election day!

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