Tarrant primary runoff: ‘Ground zero’ polling place moved after A/C flooded at library

Fort Worth voters who usually cast their ballots at the Southwest Regional Library on Hulen Street should be aware that the polling place has been relocated for Tuesday’s primary runoff election.

The polling place has been moved just one block down the street to the offices of the Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains, according to Kal Silverman, the Republican election judge for the location. The offices are at 4901 Briarhaven Road. The Southwest Regional Library is at the corner of Hulen Street and Briarhaven Road.

The move is due to flooding caused by air conditioning units in the library’s meeting room where polling usually takes place.

Silverman said that his location is expected to be “ground zero” for the Republican primary race for Texas’ 12th Congressional District between John O’Shea and state Rep. Craig Goldman, and the state House District 97 primary race between Republicans Cheryl Bean and John McQueeney.

“We have the highest concentration of reliable Republican voters in this part of the county in their districts,” he said. “It’s going to be interesting.”

The library saw more than 900 people vote on primary Election Day in March, Silverman said, adding that it was “the largest turnout in the area by far.”

Library Manager Gilbert Smith confirmed the air conditioning issues, but said the flooding was confined to the meeting room where voting takes place. The main facilities were not affected and the library is still offering its regular services.

“If it was something that we could absolutely fix before voting, we could do it,” Smith said. “But I don’t think they can fix it in time. So it was one of those like, let’s just cancel it for right now kind of things, but it’s the only part of the library that was affected. We’re still open and everything is still going OK.”

Polls are open on Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Check the Tarrant County Elections website for more information.