Former Texas Rep Lon Burnam Arrested Over Voting Site Cuts, Considers Lawsuit

Lon Burnam, a 73‑year‑old former Democratic Texas state representative, was arrested during a Tarrant County Commissioners Court meeting on August 4, 2026 when he objected to a proposal to cut nearly half of the county’s polling locations for the November midterm election. He was charged with disrupting a meeting, a Class B misdemeanor, and was released that night on a personal recognizance bond. Burnam was barred from attending commissioners court for six months.

Burnam said he is exploring legal action against Republican County Judge Tim O’Hare over the arrest. He also plans to testify before the Texas Commission on Jail Standards about in‑custody jail deaths and conditions in the county jail. Critics of the polling‑site reduction argue it would suppress voter access, especially for Black and Latino communities, while supporters cite cost savings.