Dallas-area voters staring down a crowded May 2 local ballot now have a digital cheat sheet. The Dallas Morning News has launched an online Voter Guide that lines up candidates side by side, asking everyone the same questions on taxes, public safety, education and development so readers can scan and compare. The guide also includes a Build Your Ballot tool that generates a personalized sample based on a reader’s home address, a small mercy in a season when municipal ballots can feel endless.
What the guide includes
According to The Dallas Morning News, the newsroom invited 211 candidates in 105 races across North Texas to fill out questionnaires, and 110 did so. That gives voters a direct look at how contenders stack up on key local issues. Editorial page editor Rudy Bush said, "Local elections are among the most important we vote in. Sadly, too many people have too little information about who is running," summing up the goal of the project. The questionnaires, created by the editorial board and product team, zero in on issues tied directly to local governance.
When the elections are
May 2 is Texas’ uniform May election date, when cities, school districts and other local political subdivisions typically hold general or special elections, according to the Texas Secretary of State. The state’s election calendar lays out the filing deadlines, key dates and runoff schedules that many local governments are following this spring. That timing often produces packed ballots that change from one neighborhood to the next, so knowing what is coming before you show up at the polls can be crucial.
How the guide works
The News’ online Voter Guide features candidate bios, searchable responses and a Build Your Ballot function that shows voters exactly which contests will appear on their specific ballot, according to The Dallas Morning News. The project page, published April 3, 2026, lets users print a sample ballot, jot down notes and sort races by address. Reporters say the interface is intended to make head-to-head comparisons less painful, especially in fast-growing suburbs where development fights, bond packages and school board races seem to land on the ballot on a regular basis.
Why it matters
Turnout in Dallas’ May municipal elections has historically been anemic, which means big local decisions can be settled by a sliver of eligible voters. NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reported that turnout for the May 3, 2025 municipal election barely cleared 8 percent, a number city officials pointed to when they voted to move Dallas elections to November in hopes of drawing more people to the polls. For residents who want fewer surprises in the voting booth, the Voter Guide offers a straightforward way to preview who will be on the ballot and where those candidates line up on neighborhood issues.
