Why Grapevine and Colleyville Should Ditch Lonely May Elections and Join the November Party
Because... Democracy!
Fellow residents of these twin jewels of Tarrant County, Grapevine and Colleyville! Where the wine flows, the airport hums, and the school board races somehow feel more dramatic than a Taylor Sheridan mini-series.
Right now, our local elections happen in May, like some sad, forgotten junk drawer of democracy. A handful of dedicated folks (bless our civic hearts) show up, while everyone else is busy with Little League, tax deadlines, or pretending they’re going to mow the lawn. It’s time to move to November.
Yes, the November. The big one. Where the stakes are high, the lines are long, and turnout doesn’t require a search party.
Benefit #1: Turnout That Doesn’t Make Statisticians Cry
May elections in places like ours?
Percentages of eligible voters actually casting ballots often hovers somewhere between “intimate dinner party” and “quorum at a HOA meeting.” Studies across the country show off-cycle local races routinely scrape the bottom of the barrel, well under 20% in many spots.
November elections (especially presidential or big midterm years) pull in 50-60% or more. Double the voters! Maybe triple! Suddenly your city council, school board, and those sales tax propositions for roads and cops aren’t decided by the same 47 passionate retirees, three very opinionated facebook warriors, and a handful of sarcastic back-water Substack writers every cycle (wink!).
Imagine it: Actual representation. Not “the people who had nothing better to do on a random Saturday in May,” but you. The working parent. The young professional who moved here for the vibe. The retiree who still wants their voice but doesn’t want to fight spring pollen and election fatigue.
More voters = harder for special interests to treat local government like their personal vending machine. Your kid’s classroom size, that pothole on your street, and whether the next bond package funds a park or a statue of a really enthusiastic grape cluster? Decided by the full community, not the usual suspects.
Benefit #2: Convenience So Glorious It Feels Illegal
Right now we’re running separate elections like it’s 1890 and we enjoy wasting everyone’s time and money.
Separate ballots.
Separate polling locations (or the same ones staffed twice).
Separate mailings.
Separate headaches.
November? One-stop shopping. You’re already fired up about the big races, so why not knock out your local school trustee, city council, and propositions in the same trip?
It’s like going to Costco: Grab the national drama, throw in some local governance, and leave with a giant sense of civic accomplishment and a churro if they’re selling them outside. Texas already piggybacks plenty of stuff; let’s stop making Tarrant County Elections run a May pop-up shop for our sleepy (haha) local contests.
Benefit #3: Save Money. Like, Real Money.
Every standalone May election costs taxpayers. Polling workers, equipment, advertising, ballot printing—ka-ching. When locals ride shotgun with November’s big show, those costs get shared. Cities across the country have seen serious savings by consolidating. That money can go to fixing roads, supporting our schools (shoutout GCISD), or—wild idea—maybe even lowering property taxes a hair instead of funding another low-turnout election that half the city forgets is happening.
Benefit #4: Better Government, Funnier Outcomes
Low-turnout May elections reward the organized and the loud. High-turnout November elections reward candidates who actually appeal to normal humans. Want more responsive local leaders? Flood the zone with voters. Plus, humor bonus: Nothing’s funnier than a city council race getting national attention because 80% turnout created an absolute barn-burner instead of the usual 12-vote squeaker decided by whoever’s cousin showed up.
Critics will clutch pearls: “But local issues will get drowned out!” Dude, right now they’re invisible. In November they ride the coattails of excitement. Voters will scroll down the ballot once they’re already there. Plenty of cities across the country saw turnout skyrocket after similar moves. Our Grapevine-Colleyville bubble can too.
Call to Action
Fellow Texans of Grapevine and Colleyville: We love our communities. We brag about the vineyards, the lakes, the excellent GCISD schools, and the fact that traffic here is “challenging” instead of “apocalyptic.” But let’s stop treating local democracy like an optional Zoom meeting nobody joins.
Push your city councils, your state reps, and anyone who’ll listen. Move these elections to November. Make every voter’s voice count. Turn “I forgot it was election day” into “Honey, grab the kids, we’re voting like adults today.”
And if we pull this off? I promise to personally thank every one of you with a sarcastic op-ed and maybe a free glass of local wine if I can find a PAC that’ll pay for it.
Democracy: Now with higher turnout and zero excuses. Let’s do it before the next May rolls around and we all mysteriously have “plans.”
Your move, Grapevine-Colleyville. November is calling. And unlike that May ballot, it won’t be ignored.