Few reported problems in Tarrant County on Election Day; voters in line can cast ballot
Polls in Texas have closed at 7 p.m., but anyone in line at a voting location by that time still has the right to cast a ballot.
Tarrant County saw few reports of problems on Tuesday, when more than 141,000 people voted as of 5:30 p.m. About half of Tarrant County’s registered voters had cast their ballots before Tuesday, during in-person early voting and by mail.
Besides the presidential race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, Tarrant County voters are casting ballots for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House, the Texas Legislature, the state Supreme Court and a number of county posts, including sheriff and county commissioners.
Here’s the latest from across Fort Worth and surrounding areas.
Arlington police report overnight vandalism at polling site
The Arlington Police Department informed Tarrant County officials just after midnight Nov. 5 that an individual had thrown an unspecified object through a window of the city’s subcourthouse on East Abram Street. Officers also found the words “Free Palestine” scrawled in spray-paint nearby; the department has launched an investigation into the incident.
Tarrant County says the polling site opened its doors on time and welcomed voters without a hitch.
Federal poll monitors to stay outdoors after Texas lawsuit
The Department of Justice agreed the night before Election Day to keep its poll monitors outside voting stations in Texas after the state’s attorney general sued the agency over its oversight efforts.
Ken Paxton and his peers in several other Republican-led states filed lawsuits against the federal government in an attempt to keep Justice Department election overseers from entering polling sites, portraying a routine election security measure as disruptive federal overreach.
“The Biden-Harris Administration’s lawless intimidation campaign infringes on States’ constitutional authority to run free and fair elections,” Paxton said in a Nov. 4 statement announcing the lawsuit. “Texas will not be intimidated and I will make every effort to prevent weaponized federal agencies from interfering in our elections.”
The Justice Department had announced Nov. 1 that it intended to dispatch personnel from its Civil Rights Division to voting locations in 86 jurisdictions across 27 states, including Texas.
The practice dates to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Justice Department tasks lawyers and support staff (not law enforcement agents) with documenting and curtailing any voting rights violations at the polls — whether it be intimidation, discrimination, or failure to adequately accommodate voters with special needs.
Paxton has long advocated for more scrutiny of Texas polling places. As Republican officials contested the results of the 2020 presidential election, Paxton argued before the Texas Supreme Court that counties must allow civilian poll watchers into voting sites to observe ballot counting.
What voters were saying at the polls Tuesday
A steady stream of people were in and out of the Tarrant County Subcourthouse in Arlington around 7:30 a.m. They reported wait times of around 10 to 15 minutes but said the process was efficient.
Mikki Robinson told the Star-Telegram that the most important issue to her this election is women’s reproductive rights. She believes some of the candidates hold extreme positions that would move our country backward.
“I just think we’re at a major turning point in our society,” she said.
Chris Mallon said he always votes on election day, so that’s why he waited until Tuesday. He also thought the lines would be shorter.
“The economy is the main one,” he said about important issues. Border security is also top of his list.
Tristan Branks expressed confidence that the election will go smoothly, and said he wants to make sure the United States remains a democracy and sticks to the principles it was founded upon.
Poll workers at St. Stephen Methodist Church in Arlington said there had been virtually no line, and 41 people had cast their ballot as of 8:10 a.m. They were having trouble with one of the machines, but had called to get it replaced.
H.B. Wise, one of the election judges, said he’d expected a line out the door. He thinks in spite of the slow start they might see 300 people vote at that location on Tuesday.
The Elzie Odom Athletic Center in northeast Arlington saw a heavier turnout, with a reported 483 people having voted as of 9:30 a.m. Election judge Monica Moore said things had been uneventful with no equipment issues. The line at 7 a.m. stretched around the front of the building, but only a handful of people were waiting to get in by 10 a.m.
‘We just pray mostly for our country’
Greg Carey, chair for Republican Precinct 2316, stood on the grass in front of the center displaying a large Trump 2024 banner to passing vehicles. He told the Star-Telegram that he had gotten positive responses, with motorists honking or giving him a thumbs up.
Carey believes that border security is one of the most pressing issues at stake in the election.
“We just pray mostly for our country to be put back on track for the benefit of all,” he said.
Kim Martinez showed up to campaign for Texas House District 94 candidate Denise Wilkerson. She was also offering voters a list of Democratic candidates down the ballot. Martinez told the Star-Telegram that people are often well informed about presidential candidates, but not other positions on the ballot.
“The local stuff affects us so much,” she said.
Zayna Arif and two friends came to the polls to support Texas House District 92 candidate Salman Bhojani. Arif, 18, believes it’s important for young people to get involved in campaigning and voting, and she wants to make sure that her values are represented.
“Voting gives you a voice,” she said.
All machines are up and running at the Grapevine Public Library after a problem early Tuesday morning, a Tarrant County spokesperson said. The issue led to long wait times but was resolved.
Early voting totals in Tarrant County
More than 635,000 people voted early in person in Tarrant County.
In-person early voting ran from Oct. 21 through Nov. 1. During the 12-day period, Tarrant County saw 635,162 in-person early voters, according to unofficial daily tallies from Tarrant County’s election department. Another 24,649 people voted by mail between Sept. 25 and Nov. 1.
In-person early voting turnout accounts for about 48% of all registered voters in Tarrant County. When you add in mail-in ballots, about 50% of Tarrant County’s registered voters had cast ballots as of Nov. 1.
The final day of in-person early voting on Friday, Nov. 1 drew the largest number: 64,170 people.
Voters across the state are heading to the polls to make their picks for president and U.S. Senate.
An average of recent polls from fivethirtyeight.com puts former President Donald Trump, a Republican, ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, by about 7 points.
The polling average shows a tight race for U.S. Senate between incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican, ahead of U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, a Democrat, by about 3 points. Both were recently in North Texas as they make their final appeals to voters.
Tarrant County residents will also vote on U.S. House representatives, who they’d like to see in the Texas Legislature and county officials, including county commissioner and sheriff.
This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 7:00 AM.
