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2024 Texas Elections

Lubbock voters reject attempt to end arrests for possessing small amounts of marijuana

A ballot proposition would have instructed police not to arrest people who have four ounces or less of marijuana.

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Supporters of the Freedom Act Lubbock sign a flag showing their solidarity with Prop A at a watch party on May 4, 2024.
Watch party attendees sign a flag in support of Proposition A on May 4, 2024. Credit: Trace Thomas for The Texas Tribune

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LUBBOCK — The green wave some Lubbock residents hoped for didn’t materialize Saturday as voters rejected Proposition A, which would have decriminalized small amounts of marijuana in the city. Nearly 65% of voters rejected the proposal.

The ordinance would have instructed Lubbock police to stop arresting adults for possession of marijuana if they have four ounces or less.

Adam Hernandez, spokesperson for Lubbock Compact, the organization behind the decriminalization efforts, said low voter turnout hurt the proposition.

“We worked hard on it, we had a lot of volunteers,” Hernandez said. “We just weren’t able to get the voter turnout high enough.”

When asked if they will revisit the issue in the future, he said, “Before anything else can move forward, we’re going to have to focus on voter education and voter turnout.”

The movement to end some low-level pot arrests was started by Lubbock Compact, a local advocacy group. When the proposal was unanimously rejected by the City Council, it kicked off a grassroots campaign to get the issue on the ballot for voters to decide.

What followed was weeks of political strife. Megachurches, state leaders and law enforcement spoke out against the ballot initiative, calling it an effort to undermine public safety.

Early voting numbers showed a higher interest in this year’s elections, as 26,103 ballots were cast early, significantly more than Lubbock’s last municipal election. With Saturday’s numbers, about 35,216 people voted this year. More than 190,000 people are registered to vote in Lubbock County.

Texas has long resisted efforts to legalize recreational marijuana or lower penalties for low-level possession. Since 2015, state lawmakers have allowed medical marijuana use through the Compassionate Use Program which has about 69,000 Texans enrolled. Aside from the program, lawmakers have drawn a line in the sand when it comes to recreational marijuana use and possession in Texas.

Similar ordinances have passed by voter approval in Austin, Killeen, Denton, Elgin and San Marcos. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued all five cities as a result. City leaders in Harker Heights, another city that passed a similar policy, refused to reform their enforcement guidelines.

Voting FAQ: 2024 Elections

  • When is the next election? What dates do I need to know?

    Election Day for the general election is November 5, and early voting will run from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. The deadline to register to vote and/or change your voter registration address is Oct. 7. Applications to vote by mail must be received by your county of residence – not postmarked – by Oct. 25.

  • What’s on the ballot for the general election?

    In addition to the president, eligible Texans have the opportunity to cast their ballots for many Texas officials running for office at the federal, state and local levels.
    This includes representatives in the U.S. and Texas houses and the following elected offices: -1 U.S Senator (Ted Cruz) - 1 of 3 Railroad Commissioners - 15 State Senators - 7 State Board of Education members - 3 members of the Texas Supreme Court - 3 members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals - 5 Chief Justices and various justices for Texas Courts of Appeals
    - Lower-level judges and local county offices will also appear on the ballot: - Various district judges, including on criminal and family courts - County Courts at Law - Justices of the Peace - District Attorneys - County Attorneys - Sheriffs - Constables - Tax Assessor-Collectors

  • How do I make sure I’m registered to vote?

    You can check to see if you’re registered and verify your information through the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You’ll need one of the following three combinations to log in: Your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth. Your first and last names, date of birth and county you reside in. Your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier, which appears on your voter registration certificate.

  • How do I register to vote if I haven’t?

    You can request a postage-paid application through the mail or find one at county voter registrars’ offices and some post offices, government offices, or high schools. You can also print out the online application and mail it to the voter registrar in your county.
    Applications must be postmarked by the Oct. 7 deadline. Download your application here.
    Additionally, you can register to vote through the Texas Department of Public Safety while renewing your driver’s license. You may be able to register to vote online if you’re also allowed to renew your license online. This is the only form of online registration in the state.
    After you register to vote, you will receive a voter registration certificate within 30 days. It’ll contain your voter information, including the Voter Unique Identifier number needed to update your voter registration online. If the certificate has incorrect information, you’ll need to note corrections and send it to your local voter registrar as soon as possible.
    The voter registration certificate can also be used as a secondary form of ID when you vote if you don’t have one of the seven state-approved photo IDs

  • What can I do if I have questions about voting?

    You can contact your county elections official or call the Texas Secretary of State's helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683). A coalition of voting rights groups is also helping voters navigate election concerns through the 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683) voter-protection helpline. The coalition has hotlines available in other languages. Disability Rights Texas also assists voters with disabilities.

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Jayme Lozano Carver’s staff photo

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