Arlington early voting starts April 20: what’s on the May 2 ballot and why the street tax renewal matters
Arlington TX – Early voting opens April 20, and the May 2 ballot includes the mayor’s race, council seats, and a street tax renewal that funds most annual road work.
Early voting opens Sunday, and the ballot carries a local tax question with real street-level impact
Arlington voters can start casting ballots on April 20 for the May 2 city election, and this year’s ballot has a practical question that affects how the city pays for road maintenance. The biggest item for many residents is whether to renew the quarter-cent street maintenance sales tax that Arlington says funds most of its annual street repair work.
The election also includes the mayor’s race and city council seats, so the vote is about both city leadership and one of the main funding tools for keeping neighborhood and arterial streets in shape.
Key voting dates to know
According to the City of Arlington and Tarrant County, early voting runs from April 20 through April 28. There is no early voting on April 21 because of San Jacinto Day, which is treated as a legal holiday in the state election calendar.
Election Day is May 2. If no candidate earns the required majority in the mayor’s race or any other contest that triggers a runoff, voters would return for a June 13 runoff.
That timing matters for residents who need to plan around work, school pickup, or weekend travel. It also matters for people who want to compare the ballot before they head to the polls, since the city’s election page includes ballot and location information and the county’s calendar confirms the voting schedule.
What is on the ballot
Arlington voters will choose the next mayor and decide city council races on the May 2 ballot. The mayor’s contest has drawn added attention because it sits alongside other questions about city direction, including taxes, housing pressure, and long-term maintenance needs.
Fresh reporting from KERA shows the mayoral field is getting more scrutiny than a typical local election, but the ballot itself remains focused on city offices and the street tax renewal rather than a long list of propositions.
Why the street maintenance tax is the main policy question
The city says the quarter-cent street maintenance sales tax raises roughly $25 million to $30 million a year and covers about 90% of the annual street maintenance budget. Arlington also says the renewal would extend the tax through 2034. If voters reject it, the tax would expire in 2027.
That distinction matters. The city describes the measure as a roadway maintenance tool, not a general infrastructure fund. It is meant to help pay for maintenance work on existing streets, not to automatically finance new road construction or major expansion projects.
For drivers, homeowners, renters, and business owners, the stakes are straightforward: more reliable funding can mean a steadier pace of repaving and repairs, while a failed renewal could force the city to cover a much larger share of its street upkeep from other local dollars.
What residents should check before voting
Before heading to the polls, Arlington voters should verify their sample ballot, polling place, and early-voting hours through the city election page and Tarrant County election calendar. The key issues are simple: when to vote, what offices are on the ballot, and whether Arlington keeps one of its main street-maintenance funding tools in place.
Sources
- City of Arlington election information page
- City of Arlington candidate list in ballot order
- City of Arlington street maintenance sales tax renewal explainer
- Tarrant County early voting calendar for the May 2 election
- Texas Secretary of State May 2 election law calendar
- KERA candidate guide for Arlington mayor
- KERA report on the issues shaping Arlington’s mayoral race
- Keranews
- Star Telegram
- Texastribune
