Below is the 2023 voter guide for the May 6 uniform/municipal election in North Texas. Included are key dates, how to register to vote or check your status, how to find out where and when you are able to vote, and what you’ll need to bring with you. There is also information on some of the key races and bond proposals on North Texas ballots as well as information on other topics such as poll watchers and straight-ticket voting.
KEY ELECTION DATES IN DFW
Thursday, April 6 – Last day to register to vote
Monday, April 24 – Early voting begins
Tuesday, April 25 – Last day to apply for a ballot by mail
Tuesday, May 2 – Early voting ends
Saturday, May 6 – Election Day — ballots by mail must be postmarked by 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 11 – Last day to register to vote in any potential runoff
Tuesday, May 30 – Last day to apply for a ballot by mail for any potential runoff
Saturday, June 10 – Likely date of any potential runoff
EARLY VOTING SCHEDULE
Collin County early voting schedule — Collin County voters may vote at any early voting location — see a list of locations here including wait times. The wait times at each location are marked in either green, yellow or red, indicating wait times of 20 minutes or less, 40 minutes or less, and more than 40 minutes, respectively.
Early Voting Schedule
April 24-29: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
April 30: No early voting hours
May 1-2: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
On May 6, Election Day, polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. **More information, sample ballots, etc., available at Collin County Elections
Dallas County early voting schedule — Dallas County voters may vote at any early voting location — see a list of locations here including wait times. The wait times at each polling place in green, yellow, and red, indicate wait times of 20 minutes or less, 40 minutes or less, or more than 40 minutes, respectively.
Early Voting Schedule
April 24-29: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
April 30: Noon to 6 p.m.
May 1-2: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
On May 6, Election Day, polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. **More information, sample ballots, etc., available at Dallas County Elections
Denton County early voting schedule — Denton County voters may vote at any early voting location — see a list of locations here.
Early Voting Schedule
April 24-29: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
April 30: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
May 1-2: 7 a.m. to 7 a.m.
On May 6, Election Day, polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. **More information, sample ballots, etc., available at Denton County Elections
Tarrant County early voting schedule (Tarrant County voters may vote at any early voting location — see a list of locations here or see a map here including wait times. The wait times are shown in five colors, green, yellow, orange, red, and blue. Green indicates 0-29 minutes, yellow 30-44 minutes, orange 45-59 minutes, red more than 60 minutes and blue indicates no wait time data available.
Early Voting Schedule
April 24-28: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
April 29: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
April 30: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
May 1-2: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
On May 6, Election Day, polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. **More information, sample ballots, etc., available at Tarrant County Elections
Other County Election Pages: Anderson, Bosque, Comanche, Cooke, Delta, Ellis, Erath, Fannin, Freestone, Hamilton, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Hopkins, Hunt, Jack, Johnson, Kaufman, Lamar, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rains, Red River, Rockwall, Somervell, Van Zandt, Wise
HOW TO REGISTER/AM I REGISTERED?
The last day to register to vote in the state of Texas for this election was Thursday, April 6. You can check your voter status at VoteTexas.gov. If you have not yet registered you will not be able to vote in this election, but you can still register to vote in future elections by printing out an application online and then mailing it to your county election office. Also, Texans can now register to vote online, but only when they renew or update their driver’s licenses.
WHERE DO I VOTE IN NORTH TEXAS?
Voters in 17 North Texas counties are approved to use the Countywide Polling Place Program for the May 6 election, which means they can vote at any polling location they like. Those counties that are CPPP approved are: Collin, Dallas, Ellis, Erath, Grayson, Henderson, Hood, Hopkins, Jack, Kaufman, Montague, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, and Tarrant. See a full state list of approved CPPP counties here. Voters in all other counties must vote at their designated precinct on Election Day. Lists of voting/precinct locations can be found on County Election Pages here: Anderson, Bosque, Comanche, Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Delta, Denton, Ellis, Erath, Fannin, Freestone, Hamilton, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Hopkins, Hunt, Jack, Johnson, Kaufman, Lamar, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rains, Red River, Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant, Van Zandt, Wise. In larger counties, wait times may be posted on the county election website.
WHAT IDENTIFICATION DO I NEED TO VOTE?
You must present one of the following forms of photo ID when voting in person:
Texas driver’s license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Texas Election Identification Certificate (EIC) issued by DPS
Texas personal identification card issued by DPS
Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
A United States Military Identification card containing the person’s photograph
A United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
A United States Passport (book or card)
ABSENTEE BALLOTS IN TEXAS
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) dramatically reduced the number of locations across the state that can accept a handed-in absentee ballot to ensure that poll watchers had adequate access to each location. Beginning in October 2020, mail ballots delivered in person by eligible voters can only be delivered to one location in each Texas county — that location is designated by each county’s early voting clerk. You may only hand-deliver your own envelope and not for another individual and you must bring ID.
To qualify for a mail-in ballot in Texas, voters must be: away from their county of residence on Election Day and during the early-voting period; sick or disabled; confined in jail but otherwise eligible to vote; or 65 years old or more. Absentee voters must also include their Texas driver’s license number, Texas DPS-issued ICN or ECN, or the last four digits of their Social Security number, whichever matches their voter record, or a statement that they have not been issued any of those forms of ID.
The last day to apply for an Absentee Ballot is April 24; Absentee ballots may be turned-in in person at any time as long as it’s received by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Absentee ballots that are mailed in must be postmarked by Election Day.
In Tarrant County, absentee ballots can be dropped off in person at the Tarrant County Elections Administration office at 2700 Premier Street, during regular business hours. The ballot may also be hand-delivered on Election Day between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. You may only hand-deliver your own envelope and not for another individual and you must bring ID. Ballots may also be delivered to the clerk via a common or contract carrier. Read more here.
In Dallas County, absentee ballots can be dropped off at the Early Voting Clerk’s Office at 1520 Round Table Drive. A full schedule, with extended hours, is available on DallasCountyVotes.org. You may only hand-deliver your own envelope and not for another individual and you must bring ID. Ballots may also be delivered to the clerk via a common or contract carrier.
In Denton County, absentee ballots can be dropped off at the Early Voting Clerk’s Office at 701 Kimberly Drive. Ballots may be hand-delivered during regular business hours. You may only hand-deliver your own envelope and not for another individual and you must bring ID. Ballots may also be delivered to the clerk via a common or contract carrier. Read more here.
In Collin County, absentee ballots can be dropped off at the Elections Department at 2010 Redbud Boulevard, Suite 102 during regular business hours. More information can be found here. You may only hand-deliver your own envelope and not for another individual and you must bring ID. Ballots may also be delivered to the clerk via a common or contract carrier.
WHAT’S ON MY BALLOT? SEE SAMPLE BALLOTS IN TEXAS
Some key races and bond and city props are below. To see sample ballots for your specific county, you’ll need to visit your county election webpage (links are below).
County Election Pages: Anderson, Bosque, Comanche, Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Delta, Denton, Ellis, Erath, Fannin, Freestone, Hamilton, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Hopkins, Hunt, Jack, Johnson, Kaufman, Lamar, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rains, Red River, Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant, Van Zandt, Wise
KEY MAYORAL RACES IN NORTH TEXAS
Key races in this election will be listed below. It is not a comprehensive list of all races and not all races will appear on all ballots. The comprehensive list of all races will be added and linked from this page in the days leading up to Election Day.
Addison Mayor
Bruce Arfsten
JP Vercollone
Arlington Mayor
Amy Cearnal
Jim Ross Incumbent
Balch Springs Mayor
Wanda Mack Adams
Carrie F. Gordon Incumbent
Burleson Mayor
Chris Fletcher Incumbent
Ronnie Johnson
Carrollton Mayor
Steve Babick Incumbent
Young Sung
Adam Polter
Celina Mayor
Ryan Tubbs
Sean Terry Incumbent
Corinth Mayor
Lindsey Rayl
Bill Heidemann Incumbent
Dallas Mayor
Eric Johnson Incumbent
Kendal Richardson Write-in candidate
Double Oak Mayor
Patrick Johnson
Jean Hillyer
Farmers Branch Mayor
Terry Lynne
Jaime Rivas
Fort Worth Mayor
Mattie Parker Incumbent
Alyson Kennedy
Jennifer Castillo
Adrian Devine Smith
Kenneth Bowens, Jr.
Frisco Mayor
Jonathan David Spencer
Mark Piland
Jeff Cheney Incumbent
Garland Mayor
Roel G. Garcia
Scott LeMay Incumbent
Haltom City Mayor
An Truong Incumbent
Cindy Sturgeon
Jeff Barlett
Haslet Mayor
Gary Hulsey Incumbent
Patricia Hilborn
Justin Mayor
James Clark
Chrissa Hartle
Lakeside Mayor
Wesley Hearn
Patrick Jacob Incumbent
Ponder Mayor
John Bassler
Matthew Poole Incumbent
Richardson Mayor
Bob Dubey
Janet DePuy
River Oaks Mayor
Darren Houk
Dan Dagel
Seagoville Mayor
Lackey Stepper Sebastian
Dennis K. Childress Incumbent
Trophy Club Mayor
Greg Lamont
Jeannette Tiffany Write-in candidate
SCHOOL BOND PROPOSITIONS IN NORTH TEXAS
Aledo ISD – Prop A – $124 million for school facilities.
Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD – Prop A – $716 million for school facilities.
Cedar Hill ISD – Prop A – $208 million for school facilities.
Coppell ISD – Props A-D – $321 million for school facilities.
Crowley ISD – Prop A-C – $1.17 billion for school facilities.
Denton ISD – Props A-C – $1.43 billion for school facilities.
Garland ISD – Props A-C – $1.3 billion for school facilities.
Godley ISD – Prop A – $889 million for school facilities.
Irving ISD – Props A-E – $702 million for school facilities.
Kennedale ISD – Props A-E $106 million for school facilities.
Northwest ISD – Props A-C – $2 billion for school facilities.
Princeton ISD – Bond Prop A – $797 million for school facilities.
Slidell ISD – Bond Prop A – $26 million for school facilities.
NORTH TEXAS CITY PROPOSITIONS
Arlington – Props A-E – $278 million for street improvements, parks, public safety and library facilities.
Flower Mound – Prop A – $7.5 million for parks and recreation facilities.
Frisco – Props A-E – $473 million for facilities, roads, parks, parking garage.
McKinney – Prop A – $200 million airport terminal.
Northlake – Prop A – Add 2% hotel tax and use 1/8th cent of existing sales tax for the development of a sports venue project.
Parker – Prop A – $8.6 million municipal facility.
Richardson – Prop A – $46 million for a new City Hall.
Rowlett – Props A-C – $76 million for public safety facilities, animal shelter and parks.
Saginaw – Prop A – Reauthorize the local sales and use tax at 1/8 of 1% to provide revenue for street repair.
HAS MY BALLOT BEEN RECEIVED?
If you would like to verify if your mail-in or in-person ballot has been received you can verify that information at txballot.org. Ballots that were mailed in may take a few days to show up on the website.
WHAT IS A POLL WATCHER?
A poll watcher is a person appointed to observe the conduct of an election on behalf of a candidate, political party or the proponents or opponents of a particular measure. Their role in an election is established by Chapter 33 of the Texas Election Code and they must adhere to certain rules at polling locations. The Poll Watcher’s Guide from the Texas Secretary of State can be found here.
The primary duty of a watcher is to observe the conduct of the election at the location where the watcher has been appointed. A watcher may point out to an election judge or clerk any observed irregularity or violation of the Texas Election Code. However, if the clerk refers the watcher to the judge, the watcher may not discuss the matter further with the clerk unless the presiding judge invites the discussion.
A poll watcher must have a certificate of appointment that includes their name, address, information on who appointed them and the precinct in which they are permitted to serve.
Poll watchers cannot be current candidates or elected officials.
Poll watchers are not allowed to engage or talk to voters in any manner about the election.
No more than two poll watchers may be at any particular polling place at any given time.
Poll watchers cannot talk with an election officer regarding the election except to call attention to an irregularity or violation.
The watcher cannot reveal information about voters or the votes before the polls close or face possible criminal charges.
A poll watcher can witness the installation of voting equipment and observe the securing of equipment before the election.
A poll watcher can observe any activity conducted at the location and sit or stand conveniently near the election officials to observe the election activities, but they are not allowed to go into voting booths with voters while they are marking their ballot.
Poll watchers are permitted to observe assistance given to voters by election officials and to inspect the ballot before it’s deposited in the ballot box to determine if it was prepared in accordance with the voter’s wishes.
Poll watchers are permitted to inspect the returns and other records prepared by election officials. They are also allowed to observe the tallying and counting of votes to verify that they are tallied and read correctly.
Poll watchers may also be on the lookout for illegal activities, including but not limited to, electioneering, loitering, voters attempting to vote without identification, and others attempting to coerce or bribe voters.
STRAIGHT-TICKET VOTING
Most states don’t offer straight-ticket voting. Texas offered straight-ticket voting for decades, but Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed a law removing the option in 2020. That measure was pushed through by a GOP-controlled Legislature that argued ending the practice would encourage voters to cast better-informed ballots on Election Day.
Democrats challenged the change in court, citing long lines on Super Tuesday where some Houston voters waited more than an hour to vote. They said ending straight-ticket voting disproportionately hurt Black and Latino voters in big urban counties, where longer ballots mean longer wait times.
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