Your Ballot Is Your Business: A 2026 Voting Guide for North Texas REALTORS®

Why Your Vote Matters

Local decisions affect housing affordability, property taxes, schools, infrastructure and neighborhood growth, all factors that influence homeownership costs and real estate. This year, voters across nine counties will decide on nearly $4.5 billion in city, county, school and college bonds, tax-rate elections and races ranging from U.S. Senate and governor to county commissioners and justices of the peace.

Local elections show up at your closing table. Use this guide to understand the issues and make an informed plan to vote.

Your Voting Checklist

• Early voting: Monday, Oct. 19 through Friday, Oct. 30, including Saturday, Oct. 24 and Sunday, Oct. 25. In most of our counties, early voting runs 8 a.m.–5 p.m. the first week (Dallas County opens at 7 a.m.), 7 a.m.–7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, and 7 a.m.–7 p.m. the final week. Sunday hours vary by county
• Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 7 a.m.–7 p.m.
• Bring: an approved photo ID. Texas driver’s license, Texas Election Identification Certificate, Texas personal ID card, Texas handgun license, U.S. military ID with photo, U.S. citizenship certificate with photo, or U.S. passport. Voters 18–69 may use one expired up to four years; voters 70+ may use one expired any length of time.
• Where: during early voting, any early voting site in your county. On Election Day, seven of our nine counties let you vote at any vote center. In Hunt and Van Zandt, you must vote at your own precinct. Visit MyMetroTex.com/vote for links to county voting resources.
• Prepare: Your sample ballot shows exactly which elections and propositions apply to your address. For broader candidate research, start with the nonpartisan VOTE411 guide from the League of Women Voters and your county’s sample ballot. To see which candidates TREPAC supports, visit TexasREALTORSsupport.com.
• MetroTex supports: Collin College Prop A and Collin County Prop B. We take no position on any other measure in this guide.
• See TREPAC-supported candidates: visit TexasREALTORSsupport.com.

Where MetroTex Stands

MetroTex has adopted positions on two measures, both in Collin County. We take no position on any other measure in this guide.

Collin College Prop A (MetroTex Supports)

• Amount: $600 million            
• What it Funds: Facilities for workforce, career and technical, and academic instruction; the college’s plans include new Anna and Royse City campuses.

Collin County Prop B (MetroTex Supports)

• Amount: $475 million            
• What it Funds: Non-tolled roads and bridges, including right-of-way and joint projects with the state and cities.

Understanding Your Ballot

Most of the local items on this year’s ballots fall into a few types. Knowing the type tells you what a yes or no vote actually does.

Bond proposition

• What it does: Authorizes a city, county, school district, college or utility district to borrow money for specific projects, repaid over time through the debt portion of its property tax rate
• What a “yes” means: The entity may sell the bonds for the listed purposes, up to the listed amount. Approval authorizes debt; it does not by itself set the tax rate

Tax-rate election (including a school district VATRE)

• What it does: Asks voters to approve a property tax rate above the “voter-approval rate” that state law allows without an election
• What a “yes” means: The proposed rate takes effect for the current tax year. A “no” generally limits the entity to the voter-approval rate for the current tax year. For longer-term effects, see the entity’s official tax information

Sales tax district

• What it does: Creates a district funded by a local sales and use tax rather than property taxes
• What a “yes” means: The district is created and the sales tax applies within it

Charter amendment

• What it does: Changes a city’s governing rules
• What a “yes” means: The city charter is amended as written

About “This is a tax increase”: Texas law requires that phrase on propositions that impose or increase a tax. Some cities and districts also publish their own estimates of what passage would mean for their tax rate. The required ballot wording and an entity’s estimate answer different questions: the wording tells you the measure authorizes a tax, and the estimate is the entity’s projection, not a guarantee about any individual tax bill. Both are worth reading. Where an entity has published an estimate, this guide notes it and attributes it to the entity.

What’s on the Ballot in Your County

Collin County

• Collin County bonds — $817.5 million: Prop A ($296.5M) courts and detention facilities; Prop B ($475M) non-tolled roads and bridges (MetroTex supports); Prop C ($6M) parks and open space; Prop D ($40M) elections and records facility.
• Collin College Prop A — $600 million bond: Workforce, career/technical and academic facilities, including planned Anna and Royse City campuses. Ballot estimates a maximum $20.18 annual increase per $100,000 homestead; college expects its $0.08122 tax rate to remain unchanged. MetroTex supports.
• Plano Prop A: Authorizes an arena near The Shops at Willow Bend, funded by one or more venue taxes on car rentals, event parking, admissions, facility use and hotels.
• McKinney ISD Props A–E: Prop A Asks voters to ratify a total tax rate of $1.0664 per $100, raising operating revenue. Props B ($430.95M), C ($62M), D ($4.5M) and E ($2.55M) fund school facilities, renovations, safety, two elementary schools, career/technical education, technology, a training pool, stadium turf and track. District says its total tax rate would fall from $1.1043 to $1.0664 per $100.
• Anna Prop A — $60 million bond: Streets, drainage, sidewalks, utility relocation and right-of-way.
• Bland ISD Prop A: $0.91090 total tax rate, raising operating revenue.
• Lavon Municipal Development District: Would create a district in part of Lavon’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, funded by a 0.5% sales tax for development projects. Only district voters participate.
• Proposed MUDs: Blue Meadow MUD Nos. 2 and 4 (Props A–G) and The Preserve MUD (Props A–F) seek district confirmation and authorization for water, sewer, drainage and road bonds, plus maintenance taxes. Property taxes and utility charges may affect housing costs.

Dallas County

• Dallas County tax-rate election: Would approve a $0.248650-per-$100 rate, above the $0.224650 voter-approval rate, to raise about $102.9M annually for homelessness, mental health and housing stability.
• Dallas Prop A — $443 million bond: Police, fire and emergency-services facilities.
• Garland Prop A: Approves a $0.679900-per-$100 rate, above the $0.643254 voter-approval rate, for police, fire, 911, parks staffing, roads and city services. Prior-year rate: $0.689746.
• Irving ISD Props A–D — $952.3 million in bonds: Prop A ($552.2M) school buildings and security, including new elementary and middle schools; Prop B ($300M) new Irving High School; Prop C ($40M) technology; Prop D ($60.2M) indoor multipurpose facilities at Irving, MacArthur and Nimitz high schools.
• University Park tax-rate election: Would approve a $0.220055-per-$100 rate. Reported purposes include four police officers, two firefighters, fire pension changes, parking enforcement and license plate readers.
• Mesquite ISD Prop A: Would raise the school operating tax rate by about $0.03, generating approximately $16.4M annually for staff pay, safety and academics.

Collin, Dallas and Rockwall Counties

• Wylie Props A–E — $90.5 million in bonds: Downtown and streets ($25.5M); parks ($22.5M); public safety facilities ($25M); public works complex ($5.5M); animal shelter ($12M).
• Fate Props A–D: Recall elections for the mayor and three City Council members.

Kaufman County

• Forney bond — $49.5 million: Combined recreation center, operated by the YMCA, and library.
• Crandall ISD Prop A: Tax-rate election expected to raise about $4M annually, primarily for staff pay. Estimated cost: $3.95 monthly for the average homeowner.
• Terrell Props A–V: 22 charter amendments covering council districts, a five-year capital improvement plan, annexation language and other city governance matters.

Northeast Tarrant County

• Keller ISD Props A–E — approximately $828 million in bonds: $756.3M for campus repairs and renovations across the district, including a partial Keller Middle School rebuild.
• North Richland Hills Props A–D — $145.97 million in bonds: Fire stations ($26.3M); streets, sidewalks and drainage ($84.26M); city services complex ($24.7M); library expansion ($10.71M). Estimated combined debt-service rate if all pass: $0.1750 per $100.

Van Zandt County

• County Assistance Districts 1–8 and Emergency Services District No. 2: Would create eight assistance districts with sales taxes of 2% in Districts 1–4 and 1.75% in Districts 5–8. A separate measure authorizes a sales tax of up to 2% in the existing Emergency Services District No. 2.

Navarro County

• Fairfield Hospital District tax-rate election: Would approve a $0.25-per-$100 rate, above the voter-approval rate, to help keep Freestone Medical Center operating. Applies to the designated Precinct 3 area.

Hunt County

• Bland ISD Prop A: See Collin County; the district serves both counties.
• Hunt County ESD Nos. 1 and 2: Would establish emergency services districts, each with authority to levy property taxes up to $0.10 per $100 of taxable value. Only voters within each proposed district participate.
• Cross Creek East MUD Props A–F: Would establish a MUD and authorizes up to $904M in water, sewer and drainage bonds, $279.7M in road bonds, and a maintenance tax up to $1.00 per $100. Property taxes and utility charges may affect ownership costs.
• Union Valley Prop A: Would raise the local sales tax from 1% to 1.5%.
• Appraisal district board election: Voters also elect appraisal district board members. Check your sample ballot for additional measures.

Limestone County

• No local propositions: The sample ballot lists candidate races only.

Make Your Voting Plan

Your vote helps shape the communities where you live and work. Review your sample ballot, research the candidates and propositions, confirm your polling location and make a plan to vote early or on Election Day.

Visit MyMetroTex.com/vote for county-specific voting resources, and encourage your clients, colleagues and fellow REALTORS® to make their voices heard. Informed voters help shape stronger communities.

Questions? GovernmentAffairs@metrotex.com.