San Antonio will move its city elections to November
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San Antonio will move its city elections from May to November in odd-numbered years after the City Council approved the change Thursday in a 6-5 vote.
Why it matters: Supporters of the move say it will increase voter turnout and participation in local politics, but opponents say the council decision was too rushed and the impact on turnout could be limited.
Catch up quick: The Texas Legislature this summer passed Senate Bill 1494, allowing cities to make the move — but the catch is that officials had to approve it by the end of the year.
- The bill didn't capture much attention in this year's busy regular legislative session, taking local officials and voting rights advocates by surprise when they learned about it around Thanksgiving.
- Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said she didn't hear about the city's option to move elections until reading news about Dallas making the move.
- Houston already holds city elections in November of odd-numbered years, while Austin holds them in November of even-numbered ones.
Friction point: Opponents of the election move also said they're concerned about leaving local school districts alone on the May ballot, when they hold elections for trustees and bonds.
What they're saying: Civil rights leader Dolores Huerta spoke in favor of the move on Thursday.
- "The challenge for political leaders is to make voting a positive habit, to feed democracy, like eating is a habit to nourish our physical bodies," she told councilmembers.
The other side: "I do find it quite ironic that we're talking about voting, but say we don't need to take this to a (public) vote," District 5 Councilmember Teri Castillo, who was against the move, said Thursday.
- "I think there's importance in ensuring that we have ... conversations with residents all throughout the city about what this means."
Between the lines: The council's approval was a win for Jones, who pushed for the move and highlighted Huerta's support.
- District 9 Councilmember Misty Spears' vote in favor was critical. She had previously been opposed to moving the elections, but said Thursday that her North Side constituents supported it in a survey.
By the numbers: This year's May city election, which brought Jones and several new councilmembers into office, saw voter turnout just above 9%. Early voting overlapped with Fiesta this year, depressing turnout.
- The November election this year, which had a major funding question for a new Spurs arena on the ballot, saw turnout top 19%. That's unusually high.
Context: Jones has highlighted research from Rice University political science professor Melissa Marschall, who says turnout clearly increases from May to November in odd-numbered years.
- Turnout is higher still in November of even-numbered years, Marschall has written.
What's next: The next City Council election won't be until November 2029.