Tarrant’s early vote turnout likely to surpass 2016 record, with Friday the final day
Fort Worth area voters have been turning out in near record numbers to cast ballots early in this year’s presidential primary election.
And there’s one more day to vote early — Friday.
“We are likely to break the turnout record” from 2016, said Heider Garcia, Tarrant County’s election administrator. “It makes us happy.”
Through the ninth day of early voting, which was Wednesday, 76,055 Tarrant voters — 40,942 Republicans and 35,113 Democrats — cast their ballots in person.
That’s more than the 70,729 early ballots cast by the same time in the 2016 presidential primary, but just shy of the 76,501 who cast early votes in the 2008 presidential primary. In 2016, 48,888 Republicans and 21,841 Democrats voted by the ninth day. In 2008, 53,796 Democrats and 22,705 Republicans had voted by then, state records show.
Turnout is higher because this is a presidential primary, the county’s population grows every year and there are a number of interesting races on the ballot, Garcia said.
“We want for people to vote on everything on the ballot,” Garcia said. “It’s not just the presidential race.”
Garcia encouraged voters to cast their votes early by Friday, the last day, if possible instead of waiting for Election Day on Tuesday.
There’s a 70% chance of rain Tuesday.
The forecast shows rain could start late Monday night and continue through Tuesday, although it’s expected to move out of the area by afternoon, said Jason Dunn, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.
“Why go vote and possibly be in a line in the rain? Go (Friday),” Garcia said. “It’s a sunny day, a little warmer with no rain. Why wait?”
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday. Anyone in line before 7 p.m. will get to vote, no matter how long it takes.
Polls also will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, Election Day.
Voting tips
Tarrant voters may vote at any polling site in the county during early voting and on Election Day.
Voters will use new voting equipment the county bought last year. These Hart InterCivic’s Verity machines were first used in November’s constitutional amendment election.
They have a touchscreen where voters can review the ballot, make choices and print out a list of the votes cast. That piece of paper will then be placed in a scanner to formally submit the ballot and drop it into the ballot box.
Garcia recommends that voters review sample ballots before heading to the polls and write down their choices to take with them. “If you bring that list, and are in and out faster, everyone behind you in line will be in and out faster,” he said.
But make sure you bring your choices on paper. Voters can’t use their phones in polling sites.
And make sure you leave any shirts, hats and buttons touting candidates in the car. No one is allowed to wear anything promoting any candidate on the ballot into the voting area.
Voters should bring a current photo ID to the polls. There are seven state-approved photo IDs: Texas driver’s license, Texas election identification certificate, Texas personal identification card, Texas license to carry a handgun, U.S. military ID card with photo, U.S. citizenship certificate with photo and U.S. passport.
State election officials say anyone who doesn’t have one of those IDs can still vote after showing another form of ID and submitting a “reasonable impediment declaration.”
And anyone who needs a ride to the polls can get one for free. Tarrant County officials agreed to spend as much as $20,000 to give voters rides on Trinity Metro’s fixed-route bus, ACCESS paratransit, Tarrant County Transportation Services (TCTS), Northeast Transportation Services (NETS), Arlington’s Via and Handitran.
Garcia said Tarrant County is still looking for clerks to help out on Election Day. If you’d like to volunteer, or if you have any questions about voting, call the Tarrant County Elections Center at 817-831-8683.
Where to vote
Here’s a list of the early voting sites.
- Tarrant County Elections Center, 2700 Premier St., Fort Worth. This is the main early voting site.
- Arlington Subcourthouse, 700 E. Abram St.
- Asia Times Square, 2615 W. Pioneer Parkway, Grand Prairie
- Bedford Public Library, 2424 Forest Ridge Drive
- Benbrook Community Center, 228 San Angelo Ave.
- B.J. Clark Annex, Room 4, 603 Southeast Parkway, Azle
- Bob Duncan Center, 2800 S. Center St., Arlington
- Center for Community Service Junior League of Arlington, 4002 W. Pioneer Parkway, Arlington
- Colleyville City Hall, 100 Main St.
- Crowley Recreation Center, 405 S. Oak St.
- Dan Echols Center, 6801 Glenview Dr., North Richland Hills
- Diamond Hill-Jarvis Library, 1300 NE 35th St., Fort Worth
- Euless Family Life Senior Center, 300 W. Midway Dr.
- Elzie Odom Athletic Center, 1601 NE Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington
- Forest Hill Civic and Convention Center, 6901 Wichita St., Forest Hill
- The REC of Grapevine, 1175 Municipal Way
- Griffin-Poly Subcourthouse, 3212 Miller Ave., Fort Worth
- Handley-Meadowbrook Community Center, 6201 Beaty St.
- Hurst Recreation Center, 700 Mary Dr.
- James Avenue Service Center, 5001 James Ave.
- JPS Health Center Viola M. Pitts/Como, Lower Level, Suite 100, 4701 Bryant Irvin Road N.
- Keller Town Hall, 1100 Bear Creek Parkway
- Kennedale Community Center, 316 W. Third St.
- Longhorn Activity Center, 5350 Basswood Blvd., Fort Worth
- Mansfield Subcourthouse, 1100 E. Broad St.
- Northeast Courthouse, 645 Grapevine Highway, Hurst
- Northside Community Center, 1100 NW 18th St.
- Saginaw Senior Citizen Center, 405 S. Belmont St.
- Sheriff’s Office North Patrol Division, 6651 Lake Worth Blvd., Lake Worth
- Southlake Town Hall, 1400 Main St.
- South Service Center, 1100 SW Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington
- Southside Community Center, 959 E. Rosedale St., Fort Worth
- Southwest Community Center, 6300 Welch Ave.
- Southwest Subcourthouse, 6551 Granbury Road, Fort Worth
- Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Naylor Student Center, 1900 W. Boyce Ave.
- Tarrant County College Northwest Campus, WFSC 1403A, 4801 Marine Creek Parkway, Fort Worth
- TCC Northeast Campus, Student Center NSTU — The Galley, 828 W. Harwood Road, Hurst
- TCC South Campus, Student Center SSTU 1112, 5301 Campus Drive, Fort Worth
- TCC Trinity River Campus, 300 Trinity Campus Circle
- Tarrant County College Southeast Campus, EMB-C Portable Building, 2100 Southeast Parkway, Arlington
- Tarrant County Plaza Building, 201 Burnett St.
- TCU, Brown-Lupton University Union, 2901 Stadium Drive
- Texas Wesleyan University, Baker Building, 3021 E. Rosedale St.
- UNT Health Science Center, MET 2nd Floor Mezzanine, 1000 Montgomery St.
- UTA, Maverick Activities Center, 500 W. Nedderman Drive, Arlington
- Villages of Woodland Springs Amenity Center, 12209 Timberland Blvd., Fort Worth
- White Settlement Public Library, 8215 White Settlement Road
This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 2:32 PM.
