Controversy is building around a failed vote last week to approve a list of early voting locations in Tarrant County. Critics are calling new versions of the list and its approval process "voter suppression."
The original list had 50 locations, but Elections Administrator Clint Ludwig said even more polling locations would be better to ensure shorter lines and wait times.
However, County Judge Tim O'Hare voiced concerns about having too many locations, citing proximity between polling locations, the cost to taxpayers, staffing concerns, and concerns that the locations could allegedly favor one party over the other.
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“I believe having UTA and Arlington Courthouse less than a mile from each other is a waste of money and manpower,” O’Hare said.
The vote failed, with commissioners Alisa Simmons and Roy Brooks voting to approve the list and O'Hare and Commissioner Gary Fickes voting against it. Commissioner Manny Ramirez was absent.
Now, O'Hare has called a special meeting to discuss three versions of early voting location lists, each with 46 to 48 locations.
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The lists exclude some college campuses, such as the University of Texas at Arlington, Tarrant County College South Campus, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
While traveling in Washington, D.C., Simmons worked with Brooks to organize a press conference at UTA. The conference comprised a coalition of activists and leaders from college campuses and elected offices.
“All of these proposals have one thing in common—one insidious thing in common, and that is, they make it more difficult for young people to vote, and they make it more difficult for people of color to vote. And that’s what this is about," said State Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie.
“Removing these early voting locations under the guise of money and manpower is a calculated attempt to prevent young people from showing up and showing out," said Kayla Rabb, MS, Texas NAACP Youth and College president. “You talk about money and manpower, but true democracy is priceless.”
Ezekiel Oluwemimo, a UTA student, stopped by the press conference as an observer. He said taking away the polling location at his campus would be inconvenient, meaning he and others would have to look up their nearest location.
“It does suck," he said. “I have to do that research. I don’t know where that would be.”
But he said he will take the extra steps to cast his ballot this year.
“I took it for granted at first, but when I got to start doing the research and see whoever’s in office and see how they control what we do as citizens of the United States, I was like, 'OK, maybe I should take this a little more seriously,'" Oluwemimo said.
Speakers at Wednesday's press conference also expressed concern about O'Hare calling a meeting to discuss new early voting location lists while Brooks and Simmons are out of town.
“The vast majority of the minority population in Tarrant County: Black, Hispanic, Asian, other, is represented by Commissioner Brooks and Commissioner Simmons," said Turner. “To schedule this meeting at a time the two Black members of the court cannot be there, and a vast majority of the minority population in Tarrant County cannot be represented because they cannot be there, is wrong.”
In a statement on Wednesday, Simmons said their trip had been planned for over a month and had been approved by everyone in the commissioner's court.
"Tomorrow, despite having three face-to-face meetings in D.C. on Thursday, Sept. 12, I will seek to fight Tarrant County voter suppression and racism as a virtual attendee of the Commissioners Court and in my conversations at the White House and with federal officials," she stated.
NBC 5 reached out to O'Hare's office. He was unable to accommodate an interview. NBC 5 is waiting to hear back about a written statement.
Thursday's meeting is set to begin at 10 a.m.
