Inclement weather forced delays and closures at multiple polling locations in Tarrant County on Tuesday, the final day of early voting in the runoff for Texas Senate District 9, compounding disruptions that began over the weekend.
County facilities, including polling sites, opened at 10 a.m. due to the weather, according to a Tarrant County announcement. Some locations faced even later openings or early closures.
The Como Community Center in Fort Worth and the Handley-Meadowbrook Community Center were set to open at noon and close at 5 p.m. The Northpark YMCA in Fort Worth was scheduled to open at 12:30 p.m. and close at 6 p.m.
Officials urged voters to check the county’s elections website for the latest on available locations, operating hours, and wait times, noting that information could change throughout the day. For help, voters were advised to call 817-831-8683.
The issues followed a complete shutdown of all Tarrant County polling sites on Sunday due to safety concerns related to the weather. On Monday, six locations remained unavailable, while other sites opened late at 10 a.m. By midafternoon, most open locations reported no wait times, except for Keller Town Hall, which had a 30-minute line, per The Dallas Express.
Early voting ends Tuesday, with Election Day set for Saturday, January 31.
The runoff pits Republican candidate Leigh Wambsganss against Democrat Taylor Rehmet, the top two finishers in a November 5 special election where no candidate won a majority. The winner will fill the seat vacated by Kelly Hancock, now acting comptroller, through the end of 2026.
The district covers much of Tarrant County, including Keller, North Richland Hills, and portions of Fort Worth.
Wambsganss highlighted the race’s significance, saying control of the chamber could shift.
“In the state of Texas, there’s only 31 senators and 11 are Democrats and 20 are Republicans,” she said, The Dallas Express reported. “Every single seat in the state Senate and the state House is important to the state of Texas.”