Dallas Moves Closer to November Elections as Legislation Advances in Austin
Texas lawmakers are advancing legislation that would implement Dallas voters' decision to move city elections from May to November following the overwhelming approval of Proposition D last November. State Rep. Rafael Anchia and State Sen. Nathan Johnson have filed identical bills in the Texas Legislature that would allow Dallas to shift its municipal elections to November in odd-numbered years, potentially increasing voter participation beyond the historically low turnout rates of 6-12% in May elections. If approved by two-thirds of both legislative chambers, the change would likely take effect after the upcoming May 2025 election, meaning the next Dallas city council and mayoral races would occur in November 2027.
Voter Mandate Drives Legislative Action
The push to move Dallas elections gained significant momentum after nearly 67% of Dallas voters approved Proposition D in November 2024. Proposition D amended the city charter to eliminate specific election dates and state that elections would be held by state law and city resolution.
"This is a desire to support a decision that the Dallas voters made when they passed Proposition D," said State Rep. Rafael Anchia in an interview with D Magazine. "There have been efforts to move election dates around the state."
The Charter Amendment's journey to the ballot was far from straightforward. According to D Magazine, the proposal faced multiple obstacles during the charter review process, being "quashed a couple of times—first at the Charter Review Commission and then again in early meetings and briefings with the Council, before being resurrected at the last minute."
Advocates for the change have consistently cited Dallas' historically low voter turnout in May elections as the primary motivation for the shift. Recent municipal elections have attracted 6% and 7% of registered voters. Even in 2019, when nine candidates competed for the mayoral position, turnout reached only 12%—with just 80,871 of the city's then 651,697 registered voters participating.
"When your high water mark is 12 percent, I think that's an F under any grading scale," Anchia told D Magazine, emphasizing the severity of the participation problem.
Legislative Process and Timeline
The bills filed by Anchia (House Bill 3097) and Johnson now face different stages in the legislative process. According to D Magazine, Johnson's bill has been referred to the Senate State Affairs Committee, while Anchia's still awaits committee assignment.
If the legislation passes with the required two-thirds majority in both chambers of the Texas Legislature, Dallas would be authorized to move its municipal elections to November in odd-numbered years through an ordinance or resolution. This timing means the upcoming May 2025 city elections would likely be the last held during that month, with the subsequent election occurring in November 2027.
The odd-year November schedule represents a compromise position. While even-year November elections would likely generate the highest turnout by coinciding with presidential or midterm elections, the Charter Review Commission expressed concerns about nonpartisan municipal races becoming overly politicized.
"The Charter Review Commission... they were concerned about making non-partisan elections too partisan, which is a concern I share," Anchia explained to D Magazine. "In the hyper-partisan nature of our politics today, I think it's important to sort of get away from that tyranny of the parties and instead focus more on municipal good government."
Impact on Voter Participation and Election Dynamics
The primary goal of moving elections to November is to increase voter participation by aligning municipal voting with the time of year when citizens are more accustomed to casting ballots.
"The hope is that people will get more excited about voting in a November election just out of habit," Anchia told D Magazine.
However, some observers have raised concerns about potential unintended consequences. According to D Magazine, some worry that voters who "don't truly follow Dallas City Hall and don't understand the city's history" might vote in November elections and "completely change the composition of the Council."
This perspective reflects a tension between expanding democratic participation and ensuring informed voting. As D Magazine reports, some have questioned, "What will be the quality of voters that come to vote in November? Because it feels like in May, the people that come to vote have studied up. They know what they're voting about."
Anchia acknowledged these concerns but emphasized the importance of increasing participation: "Does this fully solve the problem? No. But is it a step in the right direction? In my view, yes."
Questions About Dallas ISD Elections
The proposed change raises questions about the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) elections, which are currently held in May. If city elections move to November while school board elections remain in May, voter participation in school board races could decline even further.
Anchia told D Magazine that he and State Rep. Morgan Meyer had previously worked on legislation to move the elections to November. However, that effort didn't ultimately succeed in the Senate.
"I have had people ask me if this solves the problem if Dallas ISD—which typically has three seats open in May elections—is still voting in May. Could it reduce the possibility that people are going to remember to go vote if they're truly the only May election?" a D Magazine interviewer asked.
Anchia acknowledged the concern but emphasized local control: "I am all about local control, and I don't want to big-foot the school district. They get enough of that from the state as it is, as are our cities throughout Texas."
He indicated openness to supporting similar legislation for DISD in the future if requested: "If they come to my next session and say, 'Hey, Rafael, we want to move our elections as well,' then we'd file a bill to allow that to happen."
Broader Context of Election Changes
The effort to move Dallas elections comes amid significant attention to election procedures nationwide. According to NBC DFW, Dallas County recently faced issues with its election administration. Commissioners are considering changing companies handling voter check-ins after nearly 4,000 voters received the wrong ballot in a recent election.
The Dallas County Democratic Party website indicates that the upcoming May 3, 2025, municipal elections will proceed as scheduled, with early voting running from April 22-29. These elections would be the last May municipal contests if the legislation passes and the city implements the change.
The potential shift in election timing also comes as Dallas voters have recently approved other significant measures, including a charter amendment requiring the hiring of 900 police officers, according to NBC DFW. This suggests an active and engaged electorate on specific issues despite the historically low overall turnout rates.
Potential Implementation and Impact
If the legislation passes as expected, Dallas will join other municipalities that have moved their elections to November to boost participation. The success of this change will likely be measured by comparing turnout percentages between the May 2025 election and the subsequent November 2027 contest.
If turnout patterns change as anticipated, the next mayor of Dallas will be elected in November rather than May, potentially changing campaign dynamics and voter outreach strategies. Candidates must adjust to a different electoral calendar and potentially different voter demographics.
As Dallas implements the voters' decision to shift election timing, the city will serve as a case study for other municipalities considering similar changes to address chronically low participation rates in local elections. The ultimate impact on governance, representation, and civic engagement remains to be seen. Still, the clear mandate from voters suggests strong public support for this significant change to Dallas' electoral calendar.