Texas lawmakers advocate for November Dallas elections to boost voter turnout
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
A potential solution for low voter turnout is winding its way through the legal process, but still faces some political hurdles.
In November 2024, Dallas residents overwhelmingly approved a city charter amendment to shift local elections from May to November, aligning them with state and federal races. The reason: to boost voter turnout, reduce voter fatigue and save taxpayer dollars.
The May 3 municipal election had extremely low turnout with only about 7% of Dallas’ registered voters participating.
Three of Dallas’ state legislators — Representative Rafael Anchia and Senators Nathan Johnson and Royce West, all Democrats — introduced nearly identical bills in February to facilitate the transition. This would align Dallas’ local elections with other major Texas cities like Houston and Austin.
Anchia’s House Bill 3097 is stuck in committee, but Johnson and West’s Senate Bill 1494 just yesterday moved out of the House Elections Committee. It passed unanimously in the Senate in April. If it is voted on the house floor and passes, the bill goes to the governor’s desk.
We have reached out numerous times to both Anchia and West, but with the session coming to a close, they both have been unavailable for an interview.
Why do we vote for some things in May?
The historical roots of May elections trace back to Progressive Era reforms more than a century ago. Political scientists studying the lineage of voter turnout suggest that off-cycle elections, or non-November elections, increased the influence of organized interest groups like teachers’ unions and municipal workers.
Reformers also sought to remove city and school board elections from partisan general ballots, says political analyst David de la Fuente, who represented Dallas District 1 on the City Charter Review Commission. De la Fuente says studies also point to off-cycle elections’ intent to suppress turnout among working-class and marginalized voters.
“They essentially bragged that only the most passionate, and often more elite, voters would show up,” he says.
November elections: Double the voters, a portion of the cost
Today, cities like Houston — where municipal elections are held in November — see more than double the voter turnout compared to cities like Dallas, which holds its elections in May. Houston’s municipal elections take place in November of off-years, meaning they do not coincide with presidential, House or Senate elections. Houston reported 23% voter turnout in 2019, while Dallas barely reached 10%. And on May 3, only 8.33% of registered voters in Dallas County cast a ballot.
One of the major drivers behind this difference is simple timing: People are more accustomed to voting in November.
“When you tell someone in Dallas to vote again in May, just a few months after the big November election, most people are confused — they feel like they just voted,” De La Fuente says. “It leads to serious voter fatigue.”
November elections also benefit from more early voting days and greater access to polling places, due to Texas requirements for state constitutional amendment elections. In November, Dallas County typically opens around 600 vote centers, compared to 400 in May.
The cost difference also is significant. In May, cities and school districts must foot 100% of the bill for elections, while in November, they share costs with the state.
De La Fuente says the Dallas city secretary told the charter review commission that a May election costs the city of Dallas $990,421 on average. A November election would cost $558,592 on average — a savings of around $431,829 per election cycle.
Runoff elections also play a role in voter turnout trends. In Dallas, May elections sometimes lead to June runoffs — just as school lets out and families leave town for summer. Two Dallas City Council elections —Districts 8 and 11 — ended with neither candidate earning 50% of the vote, so the top two vote-getters in both races will need to again attract voters to the Saturday, June 7 runoff.
In contrast, cities like Houston and El Paso that hold November elections often see runoffs in early December, when more people are still in town and daily routines haven’t been disrupted by the holidays.
Political opposition to election changes
Still, not everyone is on board. For the charter amendment to be placed on last November’s ballot, the City Council had to approve it. It passed but not unanimously, with a 9-6 vote.
Analysts say if Johnson and West’s version of the legislation, Senate Bill 1494, is placed on the voting calendar by next Tuesday, it likely will become state law.
Advocates hope that moving City of Dallas elections to November will be the first step toward consolidating local elections across the board — including Dallas ISD and Dallas College, which currently run on separate May schedules.
In Houston, voters choose their city council, school board and junior college trustees, plus weigh in on state amendments, all on one day, De la Fuente says.
“In Dallas, we’re voting four times in four years to elect just three people,” he says. “It’s exhausting and inefficient.”
For De la Fuente, pushing for change is about civic equity.
“Dallas has one of the lowest voter turnouts for municipal elections in the country. That should embarrass us,” he says. “This is about creating a better, more inclusive democracy for everyone in our city.”
A coordinated legal effort toward higher voter turnout
A 9-6 vote by the Dallas City Council sent Proposition D to Dallas voters last November, with ballot language asking, “Shall Chapter IV, Section 3 of the Dallas City Charter be amended by deleting the requirement that elections for members of the city council be held in May and instead be held according to state law and as designated by city resolution or ordinance?”
Dallas voters approved the following changes:
Chapter IV. Elections and Referendums, Section 3. General Election
“No primary election shall be held for the selection of nominees to the city council unless specifically required by state law. General elections for the purpose of electing members of the city council shall be held according to state law [on the first authorized election date after March 1 of each odd-numbered year]. If state law does not restrict election dates, the city council shall by resolution or ordinance establish an election date on a uniform election date in [May of] odd-numbered years. The members elected shall compose the city council of the City of Dallas and shall serve for the terms provided in Chapter III of this Charter, or until their respective successors shall have been elected, qualified, and taken office.”
In response, State Representative Rafael Anchia and State Senators Nathan Johnson and Royce West filed companion bills in February to solidify the election date changes. Senate Bill 1494 has made it through the House Elections Committee and is waiting for a calendar date:
“Section 41.0052(a), Election Code, is amended to read as follows: (a) The governing body of a political subdivision, other than a county or municipal utility district, that holds its general election for officers on a date other than the November uniform election date may, not later than December 31, 2026 [2016], change the date on which it holds its general election for officers to the November uniform election date.”
If the bill makes it onto the calendar by next Tuesday, May 27, Dallas could hold its next municipal election in November 2027, instead of May 2027.
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Sujata Dand is an award-winning journalist who is energized by change brought in communities in response to news stories. She lives in and has spent most of her reporting career in Dallas, with ample experience covering health care, education and public policy.
“I think it’s important to elevate voices that are often ignored,” Dand says. “For me, that means meeting the people in our communities. We need to see people and listen to them. It’s often a huge act of courage for people to openly share their lives. So, I feel an enormous responsibility in making sure my stories are authentic and fair.”
Dand worked at KERA for almost 10 years, where she produced several television documentaries, including “Life in the Balance: The Health Care Crisis in Texas” and “High School: The Best and the Rest.” She also headed the multimedia project “Boyfriends,” which examined the complex personal and cultural factors that contribute to the way adolescent girls form and maintain relationships. Her work has garnered several local Emmys and national awards including a Gracie for best reality program.
Prior to her work with KERA, Sujata was a reporter and anchor at the CBS affiliate in Wichita Falls, Texas. She has worked as a freelance reporter for NPR and Dallas Morning News. Dand is a graduate of Trinity University in San Antonio.
Areas of Expertise:
health care, education, public policy
Location Expertise:
Dallas, Texas
Official Title:
Senior Editor and Reporter
Email Address:
sujata@dallasfreepress.com
