Tarrant County Elections officials closed an early voting location in Hurst after the lead clerk at the site tested positive for COVID-19.
Voters arrived to locked doors at the Brookside Community Center located at 1244 Brookside Dr. They were greeted with a sign on the window which directed people to other polling sites.
"I was trying to vote , but apparently it was closed," said Julio Garcia.
In a Tweet the county elections department stated that the Lead Clerk for the Brookside Community Center last worked at the location on Brookside Drive on Monday, Oct. 19.
Thursday afternoon crews with a company that provides services such as COVID-19 decontamination could be seen entering the building from the side.
"It's just reality so it's nothing to get upset over," said voter Gwendolyn Cohee who also had to go to a different location. "My mother is 80 something years old so if they said there was a COVID scare, I'm glad to go somewhere else."
The county Tweeted that it's currently putting together a replacement team of poll workers since the current group at Brookside Drive is in quarantine. Tarrant County said the location will reopen once it's safe to do so.
The county listed several other locations where people can vote that are nearby:
- Northeast Courthouse 645 Grapevine Highway Hurst 76054
- Bedford Public Library 2424 Forest Ridge Drive Bedford 76021
- TCC Northeast Campus The Galley 828 W Harwood Road Hurst 76054
- Tarrant County has a map which shows wait times at different locations.
Just last week 25 poll workers in Euless had to quarantine after coming in contact with another worker during elections training who tested positive for COVID-19.
Decision 2020
As a precaution, Tarrant County Elections has closed the polling center. All other poll workers have been quarantined and a replacement team of poll workers is being put together to work at the site once it's able to be reopened.
According to early voting records, nearly 6,900 people voted in the community center between Oct. 13 and Oct. 19, with 1,443 voting on Friday, 8181 on Saturday and 1,022 on Monday.
ONLINE: Your Voter Guide for the 2020 November General Election is here, with information on Federal, State and Local Races
Voters still looking to cast a ballot in the upcoming election can visit any other early voting location through Oct. 30. The three closest voting centers to Brookside Community Center are listed below.
Northeast Courthouse 645 Grapevine Highway Hurst 76054
Bedford Public Library 2424 Forest Ridge Drive Bedford 76021
TCC Northeast Campus The Galley 828 W Harwood Road Hurst 76054
Meanwhile, the county elections department has opened eight additional sites to accommodate voters on the final two days of early voting, Oct. 29-30.
