AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, will transform into a mega polling place on Election Day.
With 50 voting machines, the voting site will be the largest — and undoubtedly one of the most popular — of the nearly 350 vote centers across Tarrant County. This marks the first time the retractable roof stadium — which opened in Arlington in 2009 — will be used as a polling place.
Tarrant County commissioners on Tuesday approved the contract, which provides use of AT&T Stadium free of charge on Election Day, Nov. 5. The stadium is not being used for early voting, which begins Monday, Oct. 21.
A spokesman for the Dallas Cowboys said the county is handling the logistics, including voting machinery and set up. The Cowboys are providing space and free parking. Voters will park in lot Silver 5 and enter the stadium through Entry C.
“It should be very efficient for the voter and a smooth voting experience,” Tarrant County Elections Administrator Clint Ludwig said in a statement.
Tarrant County allows residents to vote at any polling site in the county, so diehard Dallas Cowboys fans willing to make the drive can vote at the stadium. Only Tarrant County voters can vote at the stadium, though. Sorry, Dallas County voters.
Counties have turned to stadiums and arenas for voting in the past. In 2020, nearly 50 professional stadiums and arenas across the country, including American Airlines Center in Dallas, transformed into sprawling voting sites as elections officials scrambled to find space for social distancing during the pandemic.
Tova Wang, a senior researcher in democratic practice at Harvard University’s Ash Center, said in the Harvard Gazette that stadium and arena voting was a success for election administrators, teams and voters.
“Use of stadiums and arenas made for shorter lines, easier parking, and a more enjoyable experience,” Wang said.
