Tarrant County, Texas suffered a severe shortage of poll workers at its March 1st primary and officials are unsure how many eligible voters did not cast a ballot as a result. Two major factors attributed to the decrease in staff are the persistent dangers of COVID-19 – especially for elderly poll workers after the lifting of mask mandates – and the restrictive voting laws recently passed in the state. Some workers reportedly quit because of the increased risk of accidentally committing an election-related felony on the job. While Tarrant County provides a dramatic example, it appears to be just one of many localities throughout several states where restrictive voting laws or the continued risk of contracting COVID-19 – or both – have led to a labor shortage and worsening conditions at the polls for workers and voters both.