Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey.
Austin, Texas, Proposition B, Oversight of Police Measure (May 2023)
| Austin Proposition B | |
|---|---|
|
|
|
| Election date |
|
| Topic Local law enforcement |
|
| Status |
|
| Type Initiative |
|
Austin Proposition B was on the ballot as an initiative in Austin on May 6, 2023. It was defeated.
A "yes" vote supported making changes to the civilian oversight system of the Austin Police Department, including:
|
A "no" vote opposed making changes to the civilian oversight system of the Austin Police Department. |
Election results
|
Austin Proposition B |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 12,137 | 18.90% | ||
|
|
52,069 | 81.10% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Proposition B was as follows:
| “ | Shall the voters of Austin adopt an initiated ordinance, circulated by Voters for Oversight and Police Accountability, that will strengthen the City's system of independent and transparent civilian police oversight? | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Measure design
Under this measure, certain provisions regarding the Office of Police Oversight would have been removed from the Austin, Texas Code of Ordinances, including the provision of the Office of Police Oversight to receive anonymous complaints, the provision to participate in investigations of complaints, the requirement for preliminary investigations of complaints, the conducting random assessments of use of force reviews.[1]
This measure was designed to provide that the Office of Police Oversight would have been considered the central depository for documentation relevant to the provisions within the amendment.[1]
This measure was designed to establish the Community Police Review Commission, which would have reviewed investigations of police misconduct, recommend to the police chief discipline that should be issued, advise on the effectiveness of the department’s policies regarding complaints of police misconduct, and address other areas of public concern.[1]
Under this measure, the Office of Police Oversight would have received briefings related to investigations conducted by Community Police Review commissioners. Under this measure, the Director of the Office of Police Oversight would also have had access to relevant records concerning use of force incidents, as well as video evidence from body-worn cameras and police officer dash cameras.[1]
Under this measure, the police chief would have retained the authority to discipline officers, and if the police chief issues a disciplinary action, they would have had to provide a detailed, public written explanation.[1]
Under this measure, the city of Austin would have continued to keep classified police department personnel files related to conduct by police officers.[1]
Support
Voters for Oversight and Police Accountability was the committee registered in support of this ballot initiative.[2]
Supporters
Unions
Arguments
Opposition
Opponents
Organizations
Arguments
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a successful citizen petition by the Voters for Oversight and Police Accountability PAC. The initiative was certified for the ballot on February 3, 2023.[1]
How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in Texas
See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Texas.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 AustinTexas.gov, "Proposition B," accessed February 23, 2023
- ↑ VOTERS FOR OVERSIGHT AND POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY, "Homepage," accessed February 23, 2023
- ↑ VoteTexas.gov, "Who, What, Where, When, How," accessed February 27, 2023
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, “Request for Voter Registration Applications,” accessed February 27, 2023
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, “Voter Registration,” accessed February 27, 2023
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed July 28, 2024
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Request for Voter Registration Applications," accessed July 28, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Texas Constitution and Statutes, “Election Code,” accessed February 23, 2023
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, “Texas officials flag tens of thousands of voters for citizenship checks,” January 25, 2019
- ↑ The New York Times, “Federal Judge Halts ‘Ham-Handed’ Texas Voter Purge,” February 28, 2019
- ↑ The New York Times, “Texas Ends Review That Questioned Citizenship of Almost 100,000 Voters,” April 26, 2019
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, “Secretary Whitley Announces Settlement In Litigation On Voter Registration List Maintenance Activity,” April 26, 2019
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 Texas Secretary of State, "Required Identification for Voting in Person," accessed February 27, 2023 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "tvid" defined multiple times with different content
