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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.
What if I missed the voter registration deadline?
You must be registered to vote in a Texas county by Oct. 7 to vote in the Nov. 5 presidential election. You can still register for other elections.
If you’re registered but didn’t update your address by the deadline, you may still be able to vote at your previous voting location or on a limited ballot. (Voters are typically assigned precincts based on where they live. In most major counties, voters can vote anywhere on Election Day, but some counties require you vote within your precinct. If that is the case, you may have to return to your previous precinct. See which counties allow countywide Election Day voting here. You can usually find your precinct listed on your voter registration certificate or on when checking your registration online.)
If you moved from one county to another, you may be able to vote on a ballot limited to the elections you would qualify to vote in at both locations, such as statewide races. However, limited ballots are only available during early voting. Find your county election official here and contact them to ask about or request a limited ballot.
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 also has hotlines available for voters who speaker other languages or have accessibility needs.
For help in Spanish, call 888-VE-Y-VOTA or 888-839-8682.
For help in Asian languages, call 888-API-VOTE or 888-274-8683.
For help in Arabic, call 888-YALLA-US or 888-925-5287.
For help in American Sign Language through a video, call 301-818-VOTE or 301-818-8683.
For help from Disability Rights Texas, call 888-796-VOTE or 888-796-8683.
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