Voting News

Early voting for mayor and city council has begun around Dallas-Fort Worth

Early voting begins on April 24 and runs through May 2.

Courtesy photo

Early voting begins on April 24 for the upcoming May 6 election in Dallas and cities across North Texas.

Registered voters can vote at any early voting location in their county and early voting runs through May 2. Voters must present an approved photo identification card.

A directory of early voting locations and hours by county can be found here:

Mayors
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson is running for a second term. His only challenger is a write-in candidate, Kendal Richardson.

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker is up for re-election to a second term, with four opponents: Ken Bowens Jr, Jennifer Castillo, Alyson Kennedy, and Adrian Smith.

Arlington Mayor Jim Ross is up for re-election to a second term and faces newcomer Amy Cearnal.

Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney has two opponents: Frisco's former fire chief Mark Piland, and Jonathan Spencer.

Other races
The Dallas City Council is up for a vote with nearly 40 candidates running for 14 council seats.

The Fort Worth City Council will expand to 10 districts after redistricting, which adds two new council members.

Schedule
The schedule is as follows:

April 24: Early voting begins.
April 25: Last day to apply for a ballot by mail.
April 30: Polling locations are closed on Sunday.
May 2: Early voting ends.
May 6: Election Day.

You can check your registration status on the Texas Secretary of State's website or the Dallas County Election Department's website.

E-Cigarette News

Dallas City Council approves restrictions on vaping in public

Unsplash

Man vaping

Vaping will now be banned exactly like smoking, thanks to a new ordinance from the Dallas City Council.

At their December 11 meeting, the council passed an ordinance to ban vaping in all the same areas where smoking is not allowed. It'll go into effect on December 11, 2025 — giving everyone a year to get into compliance.

Proposed by City of Dallas Environmental Commission (EVC) and the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability (OEQS), the ordinance amends the definition of “smoking” in the Dallas City Code to include the use of vaping devices.

The ordinance does not ban vaping — it only bans where you can vape: no vaping in all indoor and enclosed spaces; within 15 feet of building entrances; and on park property. The ordinance also bans marijuana smoking in those same places.

In addition, the amendment requires restaurants, hotels, fitness centers and other businesses to update their signage to clearly state that both smoking and electronic smoking devices are prohibited.

The ordinance already earned widespread support from health organizations such as the Dallas County Health and Human Services, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association. These organizations, along with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Surgeon General, have all raised concerns about the health risks of direct and second-hand exposure to vaping aerosols, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and older adults.

Dallas is not the first city to impose such a ban: San Antonio enacted a similar ban in October. Theirs goes into effect on January 1, 2025.

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