Voting News

The Texas Democratic Primary runoff election is coming right up

Whatever you do, be sure you vote.

Courtesy photo

Voting day is almost here. On Tuesday, July 14, Texas will hold the Democratic Primary runoff election. This is an election that was originally supposed to happen in May but got postponed.

Races being voted on include Senate (Royce West vs. Mary "MJ" Hegar), plus State Representative, Criminal Court Judge, and Railroad Comissioner.

If you want to vote but you have some special situations, here's what you need to know:

Curbside voting on election day
If you're physically unable to enter your polling place without assistance or are likely to injure your health, you are eligible to receive your ballot at the entrance or curb of the polling place. Unfortunately, there are no margaritas to go.

A phone number will provided at the curb to alert the judge that curbside voting is requested. The polling place workers will provide the instructions on how to vote curbside.

Curbside voting is available at any Vote Center location from 7 am-7 pm.

Curbside Voting will also be available at the Dallas County Elections office building, at 1520 Round Table Dr., in Dallas 7 am-7 pm.

The Vote Centers available in Dallas County are listed on this site. For more info, call 214-819-6359.

Late ballot due to illness
A voter who becomes sick or disabled on or after Wednesday, July 1 can vote a late ballot, if the sickness of disability prevents them from appearing at the polling place without the likelihood of needing personal assistance or of injuring his or her health.

An application to vote the late ballot option must be submitted no later than 5 pm on Democratic Primary Runoff Election Day, which as mentioned above is July 14.

Late ballot due to death in the family
A voter who will be absent from their County of residence due to a death of an immediate family member may also apply for a late ballot. Said death must occur on or after Thursday, July 9.

The deadline: Monday July 13 is the last day to submit an application and vote a late ballot by personal appearance due to death in immediate family.

If this was too hard to read, the info can be retrieved by calling the Dallas County Elections Hotline at 469-627-VOTE (8683), available 24 hours a day. The information can also be obtained by visiting the Dallas County Elections website at www.DallasCountyVotes.org.

For all upcoming election information, there's a website for that too: Upcoming election information.

For candidate-related information, contact the Democratic Party at 214-821-8331.

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Weed News

Texas Rep. Jessica González of Dallas files bill to legalize marijuana

Redheaded Blackbelt

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Texas Rep. Jessica González of Dallas has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

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