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Election Day is Saturday, May 7, for city council and school board races across North Texas.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 7. Polling sites must allow people to cast their vote if they are in line by 7 p.m.
Voter Guide where you can enter your address to view your ballot and read candidates’ answers to a questionnaire. The Editorial Board’s recommendations can be viewed here.
Here’s a guide with what you need to know about voting in the municipal elections, including recent changes to the state’s election laws.
Where can I vote?
Locations and times can be found at your county’s election site:
Dallas, Collin, Rockwall and Tarrant counties have countywide voting centers. That means voters can cast their ballot at any of the open polling locations in the county, increasing voter flexibility and convenience. Voters in Denton County must vote at their precinct location
To help voters save time, the county elections websites track which polling locations have long lines and which lines are moving more quickly.
What’s on the ballot?
Two amendments to the Texas Constitution
Proposition 1: A “yes” vote would indicate support for lowering school taxes year after year for people who are disabled or over 65 and have their property taxes frozen, because state funding for school districts is increasing and picking up the difference, Watchdog columnist Dave Lieber writes.
On a typical Texas home valued around $300,000, it will drop $109 next year, $124 in 2025 and continue dropping. This only relates to school taxes, which make up about half of a total property tax bill. The rest are usually city, county, hospital and college taxes.
The drops get larger because each year the Legislature plans to put more money into school budgets by lowering a district’s tax collection for maintenance and operations.
Proposition 2: A “yes” vote would increase the amount of a residential homestead exemption in your public school taxes from $25,000 to $40,000.
Lawmakers say it amounts to a permanent $175 annual tax reduction for a typical homeowner, Lieber writes. And it will take effect immediately for all property owners with a homestead exemption.
A homestead exemption can only be placed on your primary residence, and it amounts to a discount.
If the proposition passes, a home assessed at $300,000 would have $40,000 subtracted from the appraised value before computing the school property tax. Now, it’s a $25,000 reduction. You’d only pay school taxes on a home appraised at $260,000 for school taxes.
City council races
- Allen City Council (two seats)
- Arlington City Council (four seats)
- Carrollton City Council (mayor and two seats)
- Colleyville City Council (mayor and two seats)
- Cedar Hill City Council (mayor and two seats)
- Denton City Council (mayor and two seats)
- DeSoto City Council (mayor and two seats)
- Duncanville City Council (mayor and two seats)
- Farmers Branch City Council (two seats)
- Frisco City Council (two seats)
- Garland City Council (four seats)
- Grand Prairie City Council (mayor and two seats)
- Grapevine City Council (two seats)
- Irving City Council (three seats)
- Lancaster City Council (three seats)
- Lewisville City Council (three seats)
- Rowlett City Council (mayor and four seats)
- Rockwall City Council (three seats)
School board races
- Dallas ISD (three seats)
- Allen ISD (three seats)
- Arlington ISD (two seats)
- Carroll ISD (two seats)
- Carrollton Farmers Branch ISD (three seats)
- Cedar Hill ISD (two seats)
- Coppell ISD (three seats)