A Texas House committee on Thursday advanced a bill that would allow the Dallas City Council to move city elections from May to November.
The legislation was nearly dead after state Rep. Matt Shaheen, R-Prosper, said last week it would not be voted out of the Elections Committee he chairs.
Dallas-area lawmakers and Dallas business leaders responded by lobbying Shaheen and committee , and some local leaders put in calls to Gov. Greg Abbott. The bill on Thursday was unanimously ed out of committee after a hasty meeting. It is now up to the Calendars Committee to move it to the House floor for a vote.
“The bipartisan vote coming out of the Elections Committee shows strong momentum for this bill,” said state Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas. “The work is not over. We still need to get it to the House floor in order for Dallas to be able to increase voter turnout.”
The bill, authored by state Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, would give the Dallas City Council until the end of 2026 to move elections from May to November in odd numbered years. Anchia had an identical companion bill.
Johnson said he was pleased with the outcome.
In November Dallas voters approved a proposition that would allow the council to move May elections to November in odd years. ers say the move could double Dallas voter turnout, which in May was just over 7%.
The Texas Legislature sets the state’s uniform election dates, and any changes — even for local elections — must be approved by state lawmakers. Though written for the city of Dallas, the bill would give local jurisdictions across the state the chance to move their elections from May to November if they act before Dec. 31, 2026.
The Elections Committee also advanced a bill that would mandate that all local elections be held in November, with the option of odd years or alongside the partisan elections that are staged in even years. That bill, authored by state Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, also would give Dallas the power to move its election. Hughes’ bill would remove May as an option for elections, except in the case of runoffs or emergencies.
Anchia said he was pleased legislation to move Dallas elections was back on track.
“It shows how well the North Texas delegation works together,” he said. “There was a big assist from the business community back home.”