Why Are Dallas Elections in May and Not in November? Curious Texas Investigates

In case you missed it, municipal elections are less than a month away. Jim Hairston, one of our Curious Texas Texts members, is well aware of the upcoming mayoral and city council elections in North Texas. But he started to wonder: Why don’t Dallas city elections happen in November?Dallas will choose a new mayor for the first time since 2011-- replacing the term-limited mayor Mike Rawlings -- from a crowded lineup of nine candidates. All 14 City Council races will be contested, and voters will also decide whether to fund a $1.1 billion bond to support the Dallas County Community College District’s needs.“Maybe they should do in November, because maybe then we will have real participation,” Hairston said.Dallas is not alone in holding municipal elections in the spring. For a full listing of the May 4 elections, we recommend you make a sample ballot using The Dallas Morning News’ Voter Guide.  Continue reading...