Morning, DFW,

There are only three more days of early voting left. If you’re planning to wait till Election Day, here’s why you should reconsider, especially if you live in Dallas County.

While you can go to any precinct in your county during early voting, Dallas County voters will be limited to precincts based on political party on Election Day. That means locations might be less convenient, and wait times will certainly be longer.

No matter your county, it could still take longer to vote on Election Day. (And remember, phones aren’t allowed, so people will be referring to notes to input their selections—time!)

To keep voting faster than a visit to H-E-B, take advantage of these early voting days, y’all!

A senior companion program in Dallas is helping combat the loneliness epidemic, one pairing at a time. (verbaska/Shutterstock)

By Sam Cohen

The loneliness epidemic has been an ever-present problem over the last few years. A study by the University of Michigan published in 2024 found that older adults are the most vulnerable group suffering from this epidemic, as one in three seniors experience feelings of isolation and loneliness. These issues are difficult to deal with on their own, but as The Senior Source points out, social isolation and loneliness can actually lead to mental health and cognitive decline in older adults, and trigger additional feelings of anxiety and depression. The Dallas-based Senior Source is hoping to combat that through the continued work of its Senior Companion Program, which has been in operation for over 20 years.

CBS News recently spotlighted two local women who are mutually benefiting from this program, Ola and Maria, who were paired together through The Senior Source. Maria assists Ola by taking her food shopping and to her doctor’s appointments, and the two also spend time together talking and watching television. It’s one example of many that showcases how important it is for seniors to have access to this sense of community, particularly for those who wish to stay in their own homes in lieu of moving into a care facility.

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🚇 Plano saves DART: Plano will cancel its May election that would have determined the future of its part of the DART rail line after a Monday city council meeting. Changes in taxes and DART board representation led to the compromise. Other questioning cities have scheduled votes in the coming days. (Fox 4)

🚕 Driverless Dallas: The testing period is over—robotaxis are here to stay. Waymo has officially launched its driverless car service in Dallas and other Texas cities. Here are the coverage zones and how it’ll work. (Axios Dallas)

👗 Donate your dresses: There’s still time to donate to the Comerica Bank North Texas Prom Dress Drive, which accepts dress and accessory donations to help local teens make their prom dreams come true. This is the last week, so check out drop-off locations and see a list of needs here. (Culture Map Dallas)

Music industry leaders say North Texas needs a signature music festival to continue elevating the region as a music destination.

If North Texas had a music festival, what would you name it?

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Joi Louviere with reporting by Sam Cohen and editing by Paula Solis.

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