Laredo, Texas, Proposition 11, Nepotism Article Charter Amendment (November 2024)

Laredo Proposition 11
	Election date; November 5, 2024
	Topic; Local charter amendments
	Status; Approved
	Type; Referral

Laredo Proposition 11 was on the ballot as a referral in Laredo on November 5, 2024. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported amending the city charter to amend the nepotism article to also prohibit persons related within the second degree by affinity, or within the third degree of members of decision making boards and commissions, to be appointed to any office, clerkship, or other position in the city, but reduce the amount of time continuously employed by the City from two years to six months for existing employees to be exempt from the nepotism prohibition except for relations with members of the Ethics Commission and the Civil Service Commission.

A "no" vote opposed amending the city charter to amend the nepotism article to also prohibit persons related within the second degree by affinity, or within the third degree of members of decision making boards and commissions, to be appointed to any office, clerkship, or other position in the city, but reduce the amount of time continuously employed by the City from two years to six months for existing employees to be exempt from the nepotism prohibition except for relations with members of the Ethics Commission and the Civil Service Commission.

A simple majority was required to approve the measure.

Election results[edit]

Laredo Proposition 11
Result	Votes	Percentage
Yes	40,201	73.47%
No	14,518	26.53%

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Proposition 11 was as follows:

“

Proposition 11 Shall the City Charter nepotism article be amended to also prohibit persons related within the second degree by affinity or within the third degree of members of decision-making boards and commissions to be appointed to any office, position, clerkship, or other position with the City; but reduce the amount of time continuously employed by the City from two (2) years to six (6) months for existing employees to be exempt from the nepotism prohibition, except for relations with members of the Ethics Commission and the Civil Service Commission?

Propuesta 11 ¿Deberá enmendarse el artículo sobre nepotismo de la Carta Constitutiva de la Ciudad para prohibir también a personas relacionadas en segundo grado por afinidad o del tercer grado a miembros de comisiones que toman decisiones, ser nombradas para cualquier cargo, puesto, secretaría u otro puesto en la Ciudad; pero reducir el tiempo de empleo continuo en la Ciudad de dos (2) años a seis (6) meses para que los empleados actuales estén exentos de la prohibición de nepotismo, excepto en el caso de relaciones con miembros de la Comisión de Ética y la Comisión de Servicio Civil?

”

Path to the ballot[edit]

This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the governing body of Laredo.

How to cast a vote[edit]

See also: Voting in Texas

Click "Show" to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Texas.

How to cast a vote in Texas

Poll times[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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

Online registration[edit]

See also: Online voter registration

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

Same-day registration[edit]

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

Residency requirements[edit]

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

Verification of citizenship[edit]

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] As of January 2025, six states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. 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[edit]

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

Voter ID requirements[edit]

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]

Footnotes[edit]

↑ 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

Laredo Proposition 11

Election date November 5, 2024
Topic Local charter amendments
Status Approved
Type Referral

	v • e Local ballot measures in Texas (by county)
A-B	Anderson • Andrews • Angelina • Aransas • Archer • Armstrong • Atascosa • Austin • Bailey • Bandera • Bastrop • Baylor • Bee • Bell • Bexar • Blanco • Borden • Bosque • Bowie • Brazoria • Brazos • Brewster • Briscoe • Brooks • Brown • Burleson • Burnet
C-E	Caldwell • Calhoun • Callahan • Cameron • Camp • Carson • Cass • Castro • Chambers • Cherokee • Childress • Clay • Cochran• Coke • Coleman • Collin • Collingsworth• Colorado • Comal • Comanche • Concho • Cooke • Coryell • Cottle • Crane • Crockett • Crosby • Culberson • Dallam • Dallas • Dawson • Deaf Smith • Delta • Denton • DeWitt • Dickens • Dimmit • Donley • Duval • Eastland • Ector • Edwards • El Paso • Ellis • Erath
F-I	Falls • Fannin • Fayette • Fisher • Floyd • Foard • Fort Bend • Franklin • Freestone • Frio • Gaines • Galveston • Garza • Gillespie • Glasscock • Goliad • Gonzales • Gray • Grayson • Gregg • Grimes • Guadalupe • Hale • Hall • Hamilton • Hansford • Hardeman • Hardin • Harris • Harrison • Hartley • Haskell • Hays • Hemphill • Henderson • Hidalgo • Hill • Hockley • Hood • Hopkins • Houston • Howard • Hudspeth • Hunt • Hutchinson • Irion
J-L	Jack • Jackson • Jasper • Jeff Davis • Jefferson • Jim Hogg • Jim Wells • Johnson • Jones • Karnes • Kaufman • Kendall • Kenedy • Kent • Kerr • Kimble • King • Kinney • Kleberg • Knox • La Salle • Lamar • Lamb • Lampasas • Lavaca • Lee • Leon • Liberty • Limestone • Lipscomb • Live Oak • Llano • Loving • Lubbock • Lynn
M-O	McCulloch • McLennan • McMullen • Madison • Marion • Martin • Mason • Matagorda • Maverick • Medina • Menard • Midland • Milam • Mills • Mitchell • Montague • Montgomery • Moore • Morris • Motley • Nacogdoches • Navarro • Newton • Nolan • Nueces • Ochiltree • Oldham • Orange
P-S	Palo Pinto • Panola • Parker • Parmer • Pecos • Polk • Potter • Presidio • Rains • Randall • Reagan • Real • Red River • Reeves • Refugio • Roberts • Robertson • Rockwall • Runnels • Rusk • Sabine • San Augustine • San Jacinto • San Patricio • San Saba • Schleicher • Scurry • Shackelford • Shelby • Sherman • Smith • Somervell • Starr • Stephens • Sterling • Stonewall • Sutton • Swisher
T-Z	Tarrant • Taylor • Terrell • Terry • Throckmorton • Titus • Tom Green • Travis • Trinity • Tyler • Upshur • Upton • Uvalde • Val Verde • Van Zandt • Victoria • Walker • Waller • Ward • Washington • Webb • Wharton • Wheeler • Wichita • Wilbarger • Willacy • Williamson • Wilson • Winkler • Wise • Wood • Yoakum • Young • Zapata • Zavala
Election Dates	Local ballot measure elections covered by Ballotpedia in Texas

	v • e State of Texas Austin (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? \| Elections in 2025 \| How to vote \| How to run for office \| Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? \| U.S. President \| U.S. Congress \| Federal courts \| State executives \| State legislature \| State and local courts \| Counties \| Cities \| School districts \| Public policy