Dallas Documenters and League of Women Voters event empowers voters with essential election information

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An overwhelming 80% of American adults believe being informed about the news is essential to voting. That’s what a February 2026 Pew-Knight Initiative study found, along with the harsh reality that roughly half of adults also find the news irrelevant and overwhelming.

We know you don’t need more news to consume. That’s why Dallas Free Press focuses our election reporting around the questions you’re asking and the information you need to cast your ballot — not on horse-race politics. 

On Saturday, Jan. 31, our Dallas Documenters partnered with the League of Women Voters of Dallas to host a voter information session, in response to confusion around the removal of countywide voting on primary Election Day in Dallas County.

The discussion was led by Elaine Campbell, a Dallas Documenter and the League’s vice president of voter services. Residents used the space to ask questions, share worries, and work together to learn how to make their voices heard.

Many of the questions attendees raised reflected concern not just for their own vote, but for their neighbors’ too, such as: how the changes were being communicated to voters, whether voting resources would be available in Spanish, if the changes would affect those who vote by mail, and what safeguards were in place to prevent voter suppression and protect voter safety.

The conversations we had and the questions asked guided the work that followed. We updated our voter guide with clear, nonpartisan information, created informational videos explaining the changes voters would see this year, and sent texts and newsletters so neighbors had timely reminders and resources as Election Day approached. 

Neighbors and community organizations helped spread these resources widely, encouraging friends, family and residents to do their research and vote informed. Together, we reached an additional 8,000 people, and the feedback we’ve received has been overwhelmingly positive: from neighbors telling us they “found our site so helpful” to organizations like March to the Polls thanking us for breaking down “HUGELY important information for Dallas County voters.”

On Election Day, we carried that momentum further. In the morning, we sent a text message and newsletter with a simple four-step guide to help neighbors navigate the day and cast their ballots. Our team also spent time at polling locations across South Dallas and West Dallas, speaking directly with neighbors about their voting experience and what they were encountering at the polls.

Those interactions informed a collaboration with Votebeat to report on the confusion and frustration caused by Dallas County’s precinct-based voting requirements, documenting the challenges voters were experiencing in real time. And, because the runoffs will mirror the primary election, we’re already planning a video explainer to help neighbors understand what happened and what it means going forward.

This is the kind of responsive reporting you make possible. Because of your support, Dallas residents not only had access to the information they needed to participate in the voting process, but to cast their vote with confidence.

Thank you for being a partner in this work with us — you’re truly making a difference in the lives of your neighbors.

With gratitude,

Haley Chavez

Development Manager

P.S. Visit our Election Day photo gallery to see more images of neighbors like the one above and to hear from them about their experiences at the polls.