The vote came after hours of public comment, with dozens of speakers addressing council members during the meeting.
SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio City Council voted Thursday to move the city’s municipal elections from May to November, a change city leaders say could boost voter turnout and save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The vote came after hours of public comment, with dozens of speakers — most voicing support — addressing council members during the meeting. Sixty-three people signed up to speak on Item 4.
The final tally for the vote was a razor-thin 6-5. Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones was joined in support by council members Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, Phyllis Viagran, Edward Mungia, Ric Galvan and Misty Spears.
Voting against the proposal were council members Sukh Kaur, Teri Castillo, Marina Alderete Gavito, Ivalis Mesa Gonzalez and Marc Whyte.
The change is made possible by a state law passed earlier this year allowing cities to shift their election dates with council approval.
Mayor Jones has been a leading supporter of the proposal, arguing that November elections align better with when voters expect to cast ballots.
“Voters associate voting with November and so moving it to November helps increase turnout,” the mayor previously told KENS 5.
City officials estimate the move could save between $800,000 and $1 million in off-election years by consolidating municipal races with state and federal elections.
Turnout has been a central concern driving the proposal. Overall voter turnout for San Antonio’s 2025 mayoral election was the lowest since 2013, data showed.
Mayor Jones has noted that holding elections in May often places them during Fiesta, a major cultural event in the city.
“We have seen time and time again, that if it’s between Fiesta and voting… Fiesta always wins,” she said.
Public comment began shortly before 10 a.m. on Thursday, with civil rights activist Dolores Huerta among the first to speak. Huerta, a co-founder of the United Farm Workers, told councilmembers the decision would resonate beyond the city.
“What you do here today will be amplified all over the country,” Huerta said. “This is truly a historic moment.”
Huerta said moving elections to November would make it easier for more residents to vote.
“We all know right from wrong and we know the right thing to do is to enhance and increase voter turnout—to allow more people to go to the polls.” she said.
Several major Texas cities, including Austin, Dallas and Houston, already hold nonpartisan municipal elections in November.