Tarrant polls closed Sunday; turnout heavy in Fort Worth area SD 9 runoff
Polling places in Tarrant County will be closed Sunday due to the inclement weather, according to the Tarrant County Elections Department.
The runoff between Republican Leigh Wambsganss and Democrat Taylor Rehmet has already brought out thousands of voters. The two are vying to represent much of the county until the winner of a general election in November takes office in 2027. Early voting ends Jan. 27; Election Day is Jan. 31.
The winner of the election will fill the seat vacated by Kelly Hancock, who left the state Senate to become acting comptroller.
Over 24,000 voters cast their ballots in the first two days of the early voting period, according to Tarrant County Elections Administration. In contrast, about 12,000 showed up for the first two days back in November.
Tarrant County Elections Administrator Clint Ludwig had previously said the county would keep all 22 of the early voting locations open over the weekend, though the individual sites may be closed by the owners. The county will post information about closures on its website or Facebook page.
Information about wait times is also available online.
“We urge all voters to prioritize their safety during the inclement weather conditions expected on Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Ludwig said. “If travel conditions become unsafe, please remember that Early Voting continues through January 27.”
Wambsganss said on a podcast Thursday that Republicans should get out and vote before the storm hits.
“Tomorrow, Friday, is early voting day 8 to 5 and the concerning thing is Republicans have jobs,” Wambsganss said in an interview with Steve Bannon. “So usually, Saturday would be a big Republican voting day. Well, we’re looking at an ice storm coming in overnight Friday night, so we’re encouraging Republicans to get out and vote early tomorrow, which is Friday.”
The Tarrant County Democratic Party is also encouraging voters to cast their ballots ahead of the winter storm.
Voters can find the best polling location for them before leaving home by using the wait time map on the county elections page.
This story was originally published January 23, 2026 at 3:35 PM.