Dallas, Texas, Proposition R, Marijuana Decriminalization Charter Amendment (November 2024)

Dallas Proposition R
	Election date; November 5, 2024
	Topic; Local charter amendments and Local law enforcement
	Status; Approved
	Type; Initiative

Dallas Proposition R was on the ballot as an initiative in Dallas on November 5, 2024. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported amending the city charter to decriminalize marijuana, making it the lowest enforcement priority for the Dallas Police Department.

A "no" vote opposed amending the city charter to decriminalize marijuana.

Election results

Dallas Proposition R
Result	Votes	Percentage
Yes	233,521	66.81%
No	115,987	33.19%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Proposition R was as follows:

“

Shall the Dallas City Charter be amended by adding a new section in Chapter XXIV that reforms marijuana possession enforcement by prohibiting the Dallas Police Department from making arrests or issuing citations for marijuana possession or considering the odor of marijuana as probable cause for search or seizure, except as part of a violent felony or high priority narcotics felony investigation; making enforcement of Class A (currently, two to four ounces) and Class B (currently, up to two ounces) misdemeanor marijuana possession the Dallas Police Department’s lowest enforcement priority; and prohibiting city funds or personnel from being used to test cannabis-related substances to determine whether a substance meets the legal definition of marijuana, except in limited circumstances?

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing local ballot measures in Texas

This measure was put on the ballot through a successful citizen initiative petition drive.

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.

How to vote in Texas

Poll times

In Texas, all polling places are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. Texas is divided between the Central and Mountain time zones. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.^[1]

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Texas, an applicant must be a United States citizen, a resident of the county in which he or she is registering, and at least 17 years and 10 months old.^[2]

The deadline to register to vote is 30 days before the election. Prospective voters can request a postage-paid voter registration form online or complete the form online and return it to the county voter registrar. Applications are also available at a variety of locations including the county voter registrar’s office, the secretary of state’s office, libraries, and high schools. Voter registration certificates are mailed to newly registered voters.^[3]

Automatic registration

Texas does not practice automatic voter registration.^[4]

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Texas does not permit online voter registration.^[4]

Same-day registration

Texas does not allow same-day voter registration.^[4]

Residency requirements

Prospective voters must reside in the county in which they are registering to vote.^[5]

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Texas does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

State law requires election officials to conduct a check of registered voters' citizenship status. Section 18.068 of the Texas Election Code says the following:

“	The secretary of state shall quarterly compare the information received under Section 16.001 of this code and Section 62.113, Government Code, to the statewide computerized voter registration list. If the secretary determines that a voter on the registration list is deceased or has been excused or disqualified from jury service because the voter is not a citizen, the secretary shall send notice of the determination to the voter registrar of the counties considered appropriate by the secretary.^[6]	”
—Section 18.068, Texas Election Code^[7]

In January 2019, the Texas secretary of state’s office announced that it would be providing local election officials with a list of registered voters who obtained driver’s licenses or IDs with documentation such as work visas or green cards. Counties would then be able to require voters on the list to provide proof of citizenship within 30 days.^[8] The review was halted by a federal judge in February 2019, and Secretary of State David Whitley rescinded the advisory in April.^[9]^[10] A news release from Whitley’s office stated that “... going forward, the Texas Secretary of State's office will send to county voter registrars only the matching records of individuals who registered to vote before identifying themselves as non-U.S. citizens to DPS when applying for a driver's license or personal identification card. This will ensure that naturalized U.S. citizens who lawfully registered to vote are not impacted by this voter registration list maintenance process.”^[11]

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.^[12] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Texas Secretary of State’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

Voter ID requirements

Texas requires voters to present photo identification while voting.^[13]

The following list of accepted ID was current as of February 2023. Click here for the Texas Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

Texas driver’s license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
Texas handgun license issued by DPS
United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
United States passport (book or card)

Identification provided by voters aged 18-69 may be expired for no more than four years before the election date. Voters aged 70 and older can use an expired ID card regardless of how long ago the ID expired.^[13]

Voters who are unable to provide one of the ID options listed above can sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and provide one of the following supporting documents:^[13]

Copy or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name and an address, including the voter’s voter registration certificate
Copy of or original current utility bill
Copy of or original bank statement
Copy of or original government check
Copy of or original paycheck
Copy of or original of (a) a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document)

The following voters are exempt from showing photo ID:^[13]

Voters with a disability
- Voters with a disability "may apply with the county voter registrar for a permanent exemption to presenting an acceptable photo identification or following the Reasonable Impediment Declaration procedure in the county."
Voters who have a religious objection to being photographed

Voters who do not have a photo ID can obtain a Texas Election Identification Certificate (EIC) at any Texas driver’s license office during regular business hours. Voters can also obtain an Election Identification Certificate from a mobile station. Locations are listed here.^[13]

External links

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Footnotes

↑ 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
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 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."
↑ ^13.0 ^13.1 ^13.2 ^13.3 ^13.4 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

[1] VoteTexas.gov, "Who, What, Where, When, How," accessed February 27, 2023

[2] Texas Secretary of State, “Request for Voter Registration Applications,” accessed February 27, 2023

[3] Texas Secretary of State, “Voter Registration,” accessed February 27, 2023

[ncsl-4] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed July 28, 2024

[5] Texas Secretary of State, "Request for Voter Registration Applications," accessed July 28, 2024

[quotedisclaimer-6] Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[7] Texas Constitution and Statutes, “Election Code,” accessed February 23, 2023

[8] The Texas Tribune, “Texas officials flag tens of thousands of voters for citizenship checks,” January 25, 2019

[9] The New York Times, “Federal Judge Halts ‘Ham-Handed’ Texas Voter Purge,” February 28, 2019

[10] The New York Times, “Texas Ends Review That Questioned Citizenship of Almost 100,000 Voters,” April 26, 2019

[11] Texas Secretary of State, “Secretary Whitley Announces Settlement In Litigation On Voter Registration List Maintenance Activity,” April 26, 2019

[12] 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."

[tvid-13] 13.0 ^13.1 ^13.2 ^13.3 ^13.4 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

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Dallas Proposition R

Election date November 5, 2024
Topic Local charter amendments and Local law enforcement
Status Approved
Type Initiative

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Dallas, Texas, Proposition R, Marijuana Decriminalization Charter Amendment (November 2024)

Contents

Election results

Text of measure

Ballot title

Full Text

Path to the ballot

How to cast a vote

Poll times

Registration

Automatic registration

Online registration

Same-day registration

Residency requirements

Verification of citizenship

Verifying your registration

Voter ID requirements

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

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