Round 2: Fewer polling sites, higher stakes

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Farmers Branch voters heading to the polls for the June 13 mayoral runoff will have fewer voting locations available than they did during the May election.

Polls opened Monday, June 1, for the June 13 runoff between incumbent Mayor Terry Lynne and challenger Jaime Rivas. Neither candidate cleared 50% of the vote in the May 2 general election, triggering the second round.

Because this is a joint runoff, not the countywide primary, Dallas County has designated a smaller network of vote centers. Only seven entities are participating in the June 13 runoff, meaning voters cannot use every location that was open during the May general election. Farmers Branch voters may only cast ballots at locations listed for this runoff.

This is an election where every vote counts. In the May 2, Farmers Branch mayoral election, 3,660 votes were cast with 278 votes separating Lynne (1,797 votes) from Rivas (1,519 votes). The 3,660 votes cast in May represented only a fraction of the city's registered voters.

Rinkesh Desai, the third contender in that race, received 344 votes, which exceeded the margin separating the two runoff candidates.

This is the second time Lynne and Rivas have faced off for Farmers Branch mayor. In the May 6, 2023, Farmers Branch mayoral election, 3,844 votes were case. Lynne won the election with 2,106 votes to Rivas’s 1,738 votes, a difference of 368.

Where Farmers Branch voters can cast an early ballot:

• Farmers Branch Manske Library, Community Hub, 13613 Webb Chapel Rd.
• Dallas College-Brookhaven Campus, W1001 (Lobby), 3939 Valley View Ln.

Early voting hours are:

• June 1–5: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• June 6: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• June 7: noon – 6 p.m.
• June 8–9: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.

On Election Day, June 13, polls are open from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. at the following locations:

• Farmers Branch Manske Library, 13613 Webb Chapel Rd.
• Dallas College-Brookhaven Campus, 3939 Valley View Ln.
• Vivian Field Middle School, 13551 Dennis Ln.
• Janie Stark Elementary School, 12400 Josey Ln.

Voters must bring a valid photo ID. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot has passed.

The Branch Herald has published full unedited candidate questionnaires, with both Lynne and Rivas answering the same questions, on the elections page at branchherald.com.

The seven entities on the June 13 runoff ballot are: Farmers Branch (Mayor), DeSoto (Place 2), Grand Prairie (District 3), Irving (District 3), Lancaster (District 4), Sachse (Place 4) and Seagoville (Place 1).

_{Local News Matters.}