Early Voting — What to KnowElection Day Voter Guide: Find key dates, how to check your voter status, how to find out where and when you can vote early and on Election Day, and what you’ll need to bring with you to the polls.When is Election Day? Tuesday, Nov. 5, is Election Day. On that day, polls will be open in Texas from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. You’ll be allowed to vote if you’re in line by 7 p.m. on Election Day.Where can I vote early? Early voting runs from Monday, Oct. 21, through Friday, Nov. 1. Click here for early voting hours and locations for Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties.How many people have voted early? A record number of people voted early on Monday, the first day of early voting. Click here to see daily early voting totals from Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties and to compare them to previous years.Who is on the ballot? Click the links to filter races by category or county: Federal races | State races | Collin County | Dallas County | Denton County | Tarrant CountyHow can I vote by mail? The deadline is coming up. Everything you need to know is here. The Allen Independent School District is asking voters to consider $447 million in bonds this November. The bond package, which the district said will not increase the current tax rate, includes campus improvements, safety and security upgrades, capital improvements, technology devices, and new track surfaces at two campuses. Allen ISD said every campus in the district will receive some improvement from the 2024 bond. Below is a deeper look at the district’s 2024 bond package. Allen Proposition A – $419,062,253Campus improvements, safety and security upgrades, and capital improvements. Full campus renovations are planned at the following schools: Curtis Middle School, Olson Elementary, Cheatham Elementary, Green Elementary, Norton Elementary, and Anderson Early Childhood School. Ford Middle School will also be renovated, and its first turf surface and running track will be installed. Renovation of existing Allen ISD Activity Complex Construction of Allen ISD Multi-Purpose Complex Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Repair, Replacements, and Efficiencies at several campuses Roofing and Waterproofing at several campuses to prevent water infiltration into the building envelope Concrete and Foundation Repairs at several campuses Grounds and Irrigation Replacement, Repair, and Efficiencies Food Service Equipment Repair and Replacement Playground Equipment Repair, Replacements, and Additions Purchase New School Buses and Department Vehicles Purchase New Bus Rider Camera System Vehicle Maintenance Equipment Lifts, tools, and diagnostic technology that allows for vehicle maintenance in-house. Life Safety Systems Upgrades – Equipment and systems include AEDs, Fire Alarms, Fire Suppression, and Fire Panels Security Camera System Upgrades and Additions to replace and upgrade cameras that are at the end of their life cycle Enhance Campus Technologies, such as Campus IP-Based Bell PA & Multimedia Notification System Classroom Media Stations & Campus Print Devices Classroom Technologies, including Interactive/Multimedia Displays & A/V Upgrade Network Infrastructure upgrades Data Center Infrastructure upgrades Lowery Tennis Court Replacement, including installation of tiered seating for viewing and striping the court for pickleball for community usage Allen Proposition B – $5,359,654Track surfaces at Lowery Freshman Center and Curtis Middle School. Replacement of outdoor running tracks at Curtis Middle School and Lowery Freshman Center Allen Proposition C – $23,077,793Technology devices: WiFi mobile computer devices for students in the Empower 1:1 program (all campuses—grades PK-12) and WiFi mobile computer devices for teachers and campus staff (all campuses—grades PK-12). The bond amounts listed do not include interest to be paid. Read more about Allen ISD’s bond proposal here. The Allen ISD said since the last bond was approved by voters in 2020, the district’s tax rate has decreased by $0.31. Allen’s current tax rate is $1.1258 per $100 of property valuation, split between $.39 for I&S and $.7512 for M&O. HOW ARE TEXAS SCHOOL DISTRICTS FUNDED? Texas school districts are funded by three sources: Federal money, state money and local taxes. Local taxes comprise two tax rates, Maintenance and Operations (M&O) and Interest and Sinking (I&S), set by the school board. M&O is the money used to pay for the day-to-day operations of a school district, including salaries and professional development, utilities, curriculum, building maintenance, and student services. I&S is the money generated from bonds to pay for new buildings, renovations, security, buses and other large expenses. The I&S tax rate is used to repay the bonds. Funding approved for M&O and I&S projects can’t be mixed. HOW CAN BOND MONEY BE SPENT? Bond money can only be spent on capital projects like new buildings, renovations, security upgrades, land acquisition, and other non-recurring costs. It can’t be spent on salaries, staff, utilities, fuel, or other recurring costs. The money repaid from a bond will include interest over time, generally 30 years. Many districts try to repay their bonds early to save on the interest obligation. WHAT IS A VATRE? VATRE stands for Voter Approval Tax Rate Elections. If a district needs to increase funding for salaries, daily operating expenses, or other recurring costs, then they have to ask voters to approve of an increase of the M&O Voter Approved Tax Rate (VATR). Many districts hold VATREs to increase M&O funding because they have a deficit. State legislators have not increased funding for schools since 2019, and with inflation and the addition of unfunded mandates, such as adding an armed officer on each campus, many school districts say they are strapped for cash. ‘THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE’ A state law requires Texas school districts to include the statement, “This is a property tax increase,” on every ballot proposition. That is true even if the proposition does not increase the tax rate. In their proposals, many Texas school districts say they can issue bonds without increasing the I&S rate. This is often done by taking on new bond debt as old, declining debt is paid off. Read the district’s proposal thoroughly to understand whether voting for the bond package will result in a tax rate change. Even without an increase in the tax rate, changes in property tax appraisals could result in a larger tax bill for the property owner. DECISION 2024 Decision 2024 Oct 18 How to vote in Texas, including dates, deadlines and mail-in ballots Decision 2024 Oct 18 See all races North Texans are voting for in the Nov. 5 election Decision 2024 Oct 18 What federal races are on the ballot in Texas for the Nov. 5 election? Decision 2024 Oct 18 What state races are on the ballot in Texas for the Nov. 5 election? Decision 2024 Oct 18 What's on the ballot in Dallas County for the Nov. 5 election? Decision 2024 Oct 18 What's on the ballot in Denton County for the Nov. 5 election? Decision 2024 Oct 18 What's on the ballot in Collin County for the Nov. 5 election? Decision 2024 Oct 18 What's on the ballot in Tarrant County for the Nov. 5 election?