Digest Featured Stories Texas

Your November 2024 voting guide for North Texas

October 7, 2024

  

Election Day is Nov. 5. Control of the White House and Congress is at stake.

Why it matters: State legislative seats are also on the ballot — but those chambers are extremely likely to remain under Republican control.

  • Though many North Texas seats were essentially decided during the primaries, some races are competitive.
  • Plus, Dallas voters will weigh in on City Charter amendments, including one that would decriminalize marijuana.

Here’s what you need to know about voting and what’s on the ballot in North Texas.

Voting in Texas

You can register to vote through Oct. 7.

Other key dates: In-person early voting is Oct. 21–Nov. 1.

  • Oct. 25 is the last day to apply to vote by mail. Voters eligible for a ballot by mail include those 65 or older on Election Day and those who are sick or disabled.

U.S. Senate: Colin Allred (D) vs. Ted Cruz (R)

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, the Republican former Texas solicitor general first elected to the Senate in 2012, faces U.S. Rep. Colin Allred (D-Dallas).

Allred, a fundraising juggernaut and civil rights attorney, has tried to make the election a referendum on Cruz’s anti-abortion rights positions, and he’s criticized Cruz’s visit to Cancún, Mexico, in 2021 during the deadly Texas winter storm.

  • Allred recently picked up the endorsement of Republican former Rep. Liz Cheney.

Cruz, meanwhile, has tried to energize Texas Republican voters, warning them against complacency amid a newly invigorated Democratic Party.

  • Despite a record of voting against major pieces of bipartisan legislation — the CHIPS Act and the Ukraine-Israel aid package — Cruz has presented himself on the campaign trail as a dealmaker. It’s part of an effort to augment his conservative, rural base with suburban swing voters, per the Wall Street Journal.

The latest: Cruz and Allred have agreed to a televised debate on Oct. 15 in Dallas.

The intrigue: Texas hasn’t elected a Democrat to statewide office since 1994, but Cruz narrowly won re-election against Beto O’Rourke in 2018.

Locked-down districts

Three North Texas congressional seats will see new faces this election.

State of play: Longtime U.S. Reps. Kay Granger (R-Fort Worth) and Michael Burgess (R-Lewisville) opted not to seek re-election, despite their likely shots at winning another term.

  • Allred will also be replaced due to his Senate bid.

The big picture: Local U.S. House and legislative races are expected to be lopsided, with districts drawn to favor one party.

32nd Congressional District: Democrat Julie Johnson faces Republican Darrell Day in the bid to replace Allred.

  • The district is considered safe for Democrats, making it likely that Johnson, a state legislator from Farmers Branch, could be the first openly LGBTQ+ member of Congress from a Southern state.
  • Day, a business owner and former Arlington City Council member, won the Republican primary runoff against former Dallas City Council member David Blewett.

26th Congressional District: Republican Brandon Gill easily won the March primary for the seat that is predicted to stay in the GOP after Burgess’ retirement.

12th Congressional District: Republican state Rep. Craig Goldman won the May runoff against business owner John O’Shea, backed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Dallas City Charter additions

Dallas voters will have the chance to effectively decriminalize low-level marijuana possession, increase salaries for the City Council and mayor, and move city elections to November.

The big picture: They will need to get through a lengthy ballot before even arriving at the 18 charter amendments.

State of play: The City Charter defines the power and structure of the municipal government, and is typically reviewed every decade. Changes require voter approval.

  • A city committee spent months drafting potential amendments, and some Dallas resident groups pushed to add several of the propositions.

The intrigue: Dallas HERO, a bipartisan group, collected more than 169,000 signatures to add three proposed amendments to the ballot. In response, council members added three others that would essentially nullify the community-supported additions.

  • The group filed a complaint asking the Texas Supreme Court to remove the council-added propositions. Paxton filed a brief in support of Dallas HERO.
  • The state Supreme Court ruled in the group’s favor, saying the City Council additions would “confuse and mislead voters” if they remained on the ballot.

How to register to vote in Texas

If you are not registered, the process is all about dates.

To vote in the November presidential election, your registration must be postmarked by Oct. 7.

Paper applications can be picked up at libraries, post offices and even many high schools. You can also get an application online.

You must print the completed application and send it to your county voter registrar’s office by the deadline.

To get your voter registration application, click here.

Check your registration status

Before you head to the polls, make sure you’re registered to vote in the upcoming election. You can look up your voter registration status on the Texas Secretary of State’s website, and make any necessary updates to your name or address.

Voter ID requirements

You’ll be asked to present a photo ID at the polls. Texas voters can present any one of these seven forms of ID when voting in person.

Voters who don’t have and can’t reasonably obtain an approved form of ID can fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and present an alternate form of ID, such as a utility bill or bank statement, to cast their ballot.

Can I vote by mail?

Texas only allows mail-in voting for specific groups, including people 65 and older and those who are sick or disabled. The state has also implemented stricter ID requirements, and thousands of Texans who voted in the March primaries saw their mail-in ballots rejected under the new rules. You can check to see if you’re eligible, and apply for a mail-in ballot, on the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You can also track the status of your mail-in ballot online.

Accessibility

Texas allows voters with special needs to get assistance at the polls. Those who need help with English translation may also use an interpreter.

Voters who are unable to enter a polling place may also ask to vote curbside. If you’d like to use this option, state officials recommend calling ahead to let election workers know you’d like to cast your ballot curbside.

You can find all of KERA’s coverage of the 2022 elections here.

Texas early voting dates and poll locations

Any registered voter may vote early in person. Early voting for the Nov. 5, 2024 Election begins on Oct. 21 and ends on Nov. 1.

In most North Texas counties, you may vote at any early voting location in your county of registration.

To double-check in your specific county, visit the Am I Registered portal on the Secretary of State’s website during the early voting period. It will list the locations where you can vote early.

Early voting hours are generally 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. but may vary depending on the day of the week and the location.

Where do I vote? How to find your precinct

Your assigned polling place is based on where you live. Visit your county’s election page for the polling locations and sample ballots.

You will also be able to find election day voting locations by visiting the state’s webpage, which will be populated with voting sites a few days before election day. Or, you may want to contact the Election Official for State and County Elections in your county.

When are polls open on election day?

The polls in Texas are open from 7 a.m. on the date of the election until 7 p.m. Anyone in line at the time the polls close will be allowed to cast their ballot.

KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.