The Dallas Express sent candidate questionnaires to candidates for every office in Dallas and Collin counties earlier this year.
More than 70% have not yet responded, declining the opportunity to present their views to voters in advance of the May 6 election.
In four races for mayor — Addison, Balch Springs, Celina, and Richardson — neither candidate returned The Dallas Express’ questionnaire.
Ordinarily, candidates want to have their positions known to differentiate them from opponents and increase name ID.
The media plays a vital role in informing voters about upcoming elections. The lack of participation draws questions about the candidates declining to respond to simple prompts about priorities for the position they seek. Why would they decline to have their words, verbatim, available for potential voters?
“The turnout for local elections is historically both low and less representative of community demographics. Across the U.S., only 15 to 27 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot in their local elections,” the National Civic League wrote.
Voter turnout historically is low in off years, such as the 2019 November election. Only 126,511 voters (9.6%) turned out in Dallas County, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s office.
In the May 2019 election for Dallas mayor, 80,825 voters turned in ballots, leading to a runoff.
In the June 2019 runoff, when current Mayor Eric Johnson defeated Scott Griggs, 74,106 voted — 41,208 (55.6%) for Johnson.
Here is a list of candidates who have not responded as of Monday, May 1.
DALLAS COUNTY
DALLAS
Dallas Member Place 1: Albert Mata and Chad Austin West.
Dallas Member Place 2: Jesus A. Moreno.
Dallas Member Place 3: Zarin D. Gracey, John David Sims, and Joe Lawrence Tave.
Dallas Member Place 4: Carolyn King Arnold and Jamie Lynn Smith.
Dallas Member Place 5: Jaime Resendez and Terrance L. Perkins.
Dallas Member Place 6: Monica R. Alonzo, Omar Narvaez, Tony Carrillo, and Sidney Robles Martinez.
Dallas Member Place 7: Marvin E. Crenshaw, Tracy Dotie Hill, Delmar Lamar Jefferson, and Adam Ryan Bazaldua.
Dallas Member Place 8: Tennell Atkins, Subrina Lynn Brenham, and Davante D. Peters.
Dallas Member Place 9: Paula Blackmon, and Kendra Denise Madison.
Dallas Member Place 11: Jaynie Schultz.
Dallas Member Place 13: Gay Donnell Willis.
Dallas Member Place 14: Paul E. Ridley.
Dallas ISD Trustee 6: Joyce Foreman and Stephen Poole.
***
ADDISON
Addison Council: Nancy Craig, Dan Liscio, and Marlin Willesen.
Addison Mayor: Bruce Arfsten and J.P. Vercollone.
***
BALCH SPRINGS
Balch Springs Council Member Place 7: Marie Tedei.
Balch Springs Mayor: Carrie Gordon and Wanda Adams.
***
CARROLLTON-FARMERS BRANCH
Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Trustee 1: Randy Schackmann and Wesley L. Nute Jr.
Carrollton Council Member Place 2: Eddie Lopez.
Carrollton Council Member Place 4: Andrew Palacios and Brittney Verdell.
Carrollton Council Member Place 6: Mike Dooling.
***
CEDAR HILL
Cedar Hill Member Place 6: Bertha Middlebrooks, Maranda Auzenne, Gerald L. Malone, and Kiphani Allen.
***
COPPELL
Coppell ISD Trustee 4: Samit Patel, Ranna Rava, and Jonathan Powers.
Coppell ISD Trustee 5: David Caviness and Julie Waters.
Coppell Council Member Place 1: Jim Walker.
***
DESOTO
Council Member Place 2: Gilbert Graim Jr., Pierette Parker, and Emmanuel Johnson.
Council Member Place 4: Andre’ Byrd, Sr.
DeSoto ISD Trustee 3: Karen Lacy.
DeSoto ISD Trustee 5: Abe Cooper Jr., and David Edgerson.
***
DUNCANVILLE
Council Member Place 3: Jeremy Koontz and Stan Smith.
Council Member Place 5: Greg Contreras, Homer Fincannon.
Council Member at large: Patrick Leblanc.
***
FARMERS BRANCH
Mayor: Terry Lynne
***
FERRIS
Council Member Place 2: Norman Heckathorn and Charles “Chris” Cottongame.
***
GARLAND
Mayor: Roel G. Garcia.
Council Member Place 3: Ed Moore and P.C. Mathew.
Garland ISD Trustee 5: Jamie Miller and Kristina Sterling.
***
GRAND PRAIRIE
Council Member Place 1: Jorja Clemson.
Council Member Place 7: Jeff Copeland, David Espinosa, Bessye Adams, and Wendy Nguyen Anaya.
***
GRAPEVINE
Council Member Place 5: Chris Coy.
Council Member Place 6: Duff O’Dell.
Grapevine ISD Trustee 5: David Stine.
Grapevine ISD Trustee 6: Dianna Sager.
Grapevine ISD Trustee 7: Kimberly Phoenix.
***
HIGHLAND PARK
Highland Park ISD Trustee 6: Paul Calce, Blythe Koch, and Alexander Stein.
***
IRVING
Council Member Place 3: Paul Bertanzetti, Mark Zeske, and Abdul Khabeer.
Council Member Place 5: Anthony Stanford and Jesse Koehler.
***
LEWISVILLE
Council Member Place 3: Ronni Cade and Wilfred Ignace Jr.
***
RICHARDSON
Mayor: Janet Depuy.
Council Member Place 1: G. Scott Waddell and Curtis Dorian.
Council Member Place 3: Dan Barrios and Stephen Springs.
Council Member Place 5: Todd Harris Hunter.
Richardson ISD Trustee 3: Debbie Renteria.
Richardson ISD At-Large: Eric Eager and Blake Sawyer.
***
ROWLETT
Council Member Place 1: Brian Galuardi and Deborah Bobbitt.
Council Member Place 3: Chris Kizziar and Elise Bowers.
Council Member Place 5: Arlan “Brownie” Sherrill Jr. and Michael Schupp.
***
SACHSE
Council Member Place 4: Chance Lindsey.
***
SEAGOVILLE
Mayor: Dennis K. Childress.
Council Member Place 2: Jose Hernandez and Bambi Wade.
Council Member Place 4: Mike Fruin, Philip Pelayo, Lisa Niedermeier, and Allen Grimes.
***
SUNNYVALE
Council Member Place 3: Manu Danny and Sarah Bradford.
***
WILMER
Council Member Place 2: Sergio Campos, Jeff Steele, Linda Diane Nelon, and Phyllis Slough.
COLLIN COUNTY
ALLEN
Allen ISD Trustee 7: Bill Parker, James Hollis, and Brandon Villarreal.
Council Member Place 2: Tommy Baril and Nathan Polsky.
***
ANNA
Anna ISD Trustee 5: Clark Miller and Meg Baker.
Anna ISD Trustee 7: Josh Carpenter and Shonda Rupe.
Council Member Place 3: Stan Carver II and Bryan F. Heath.
***
CELINA
Mayor: Sean Terry and Ryan Tubbs.
Celina ISD Trustee 3: Melissa Cromwell.
Celina ISD Trustee 4: Jennifer Driver and Vicky Hogue.
Celina Member Place 4: KJ Clark and Wendie Wigginton.
Celina Member Place 5: Mindy Koehne.
***
FARMERSVILLE
Council Member Place 1: Coleman Strickland and Richard Repp.
Farmersville ISD Trustee 5: Jim Hemby, Kiel Cathey, and Ryan Calendar.
***
FRISCO
Mayor: Jonathan Spencer.
Council Member Place 5: Anwer Azam.
Frisco ISD Trustee 4: Dynette Davis and Reed Bond.
Frisco ISD Trustee 5: Mark Hill.
***
LUCAS
Lovejoy ISD Trustee 4: Amy Cambel and Mark Wheeler.
***
McKINNEY
Council Member Place 2: Patrick Cloutier and Michael Silva.
Council Member At-Large: Michael Jones, Tom Meredith, and Taiwo Ajunwon.
McKinney ISD Trustee 5: Lynn Sperry.
McKinney ISD Trustee 6: Stephanie O’Dell and James Westerheid.
***
MELISSA
Melissa ISD Trustee 1: George James and Korbin Reeves.
Melissa ISD Trustee 2: Bill Gray and Travis Puckett.
***
MURPHY
Council Member Place 3: Andrew Chase and W. Scott Smith.
Council Member Place 5: Sarah Fincanon.
***
PARKER
Council At Large: Cindy Meyer, Todd Fecht, and Amanda Noe.
***
PLANO
Plano ISD Trustee 4: Lydia Ortega and Margaret Turner-Carrigan.
Plano ISD Trustee 5: Greg Jubenville.
Plano ISD Trustee 7: Nancy Schilreff.
***
PROSPER
Prosper ISD Trustee 2: Dena Dixon and Aimee Boots.
Prosper ISD Trustee 5: Tommy Van Wolfe, Jim Herblin, and Kurt Kuehn.
***
ROYSE CITY
Royse City ISD Trustee 2: Stormey Foster and Amanda Self.