Cornell Woolridge is operating in the shade provided by the Tarrant County Administration building on the morning of Aug. 13. It’s already 91, and he still has another four hours in his volunteer shift.
“I can’t really be out here any later than 2:30 p.m. because no one’s going to stop, even in the shade. It’s just too hot, and no one’s really going to stop and talk with me,” Woolridge said.
Woolridge registers voters on behalf of Texas Freedom Network . Up until Aug. 1 he was registering people to vote in the six-story administration building.
But on July 16 county commissioners — on the fifth floor of that same building — voted 4-0 to change the county’s guidelines regarding who can operate on county property. Commissioner Alisa Simmons was absent.
Woolridge wasn’t aware.
Woolridge said that on July 31 an officer who patrols the county administration building notified him that the new policy change meant he would have to operate outside. He could no longer use the table and chair the county was providing him with.
“I was really surprised,” Woolridge said.
The new Tarrant County Facilities Use Policy bars press conferences without permission and operations it sees as “non-regular use.” The Texas Freedom Network voter registration drive falls under this category.
“Without a Commissioners Court approved application and agreement for a non-regular use, the policy prohibits a non-regular use in a county facility,” a spokesperson for the county said. “However, no Court approval is required for expressive activity in a common outdoor area.”
Woolridge said he wasn’t aware that the Commissioners Court must approve his request to operate and worries that the court, split on party lines — three Republicans to two Democrats — will lead to partisan votes on who can and can’t use county buildings. He said that Texas Freedom Network’s request to return indoors will be heard in September.
He also suspects that the policy could be a mechanism to lower voter turnout.
“The timing of this is really suspect, and I know from people who work here, who I talk with and have a decent relationship with, none of them have heard of any complaints that people have had about me being here,” Woolridge said. “The timing of the policy to start Aug. 1, which is the beginning of the hottest month of the summer, and also August and September are the the two months that voter registration is the busiest.”
Texas has a motor voter law that allows people to register to vote when they apply for a driver’s license or renew or update it.
County Judge Tim O’Hare said last year at an event hosted by the True Texas Project that lower voter turnout would help Republicans win municipal elections . O’Hare did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
Teena James, founder and CEO of Safe in The Six, a nonprofit that provides resources to people in Stop Six, said she believes the new facilities use guidelines are a way for O’Hare to curb voter registration.
James was standing outside with Woolridge on the morning of Aug. 13, venting about her frustrations because she has been told she cannot use county buildings in southeast Fort Worth and Tarrant County.
“There’s a narrative that’s going around that people are being fraudulent, voting and stealing votes and things like that,” James said. “That doesn’t happen here in Fort Worth that we’re familiar with. But you have a new county judge who actually was over in Farmers Branch. First of all, he was dismissed and kicked out of that area. He decided to come over here and try to put us in a little box.”
O’Hare served on the Farmers Branch City Council from 2005 to 2008 and one term as mayor from 2008 to 2011 . In 2006, the city passed an ordinance that prohibited landlords from renting to undocumented immigrants and another that made English the city’s official language. Both were ultimately ruled unconstitutional by a federal court and cost the city millions in legal fees.
O’Hare campaigned for county judge on a promise of secure elections. Shortly after he took office 2023 he announced the formation of the Tarrant Election Integrity unit with District Attorney Phil Sorrells and Sheriff Bill Waybourn.
It has prosecuted zero cases .
James also alluded to the Commissioner Court’s decision to vote against splitting the bill with Trinity Metro to offer free rides to polling locations during the March primary.
“Why are you trying so hard to restrict us from voting? What’s your agenda? Why are you trying so hard to bring it to people’s attention that they don’t need to vote and or they can’t vote, or just discourage them from voting? Why?” James said.
As she spoke, a man wandered over from family court down the street. He asked if either has a phone charger. James paused and said she’d check her car.
While he waited, Woolridge spoke with the man and, two minutes later, Tarrant County had a new registered voter.
“I think voter rights, I think voter access is under attack, not only in Tarrant County, but across the state,” Woolridge said. “There have been a number of things that have happened from the state level and have then gone down to the county level that are absolutely making it more and more difficult for people to vote, for people to know how to vote.”
While he’s been able to get some people to stop and register in the summer heat, Woolridge hopes soon, he’ll be back inside.
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