Texas Proposition 12, Abolish Galveston County Treasurer Amendment (2023)

Texas Proposition 12
Election date November 7, 2023
Topic County and municipal governance
Status a Approved
Type Constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

Texas Proposition 12, the Abolish Galveston County Treasurer Amendment, was on the ballot in Texas as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 7, 2023.The ballot measure was approved.

A "yes" vote supported amending the state constitution to provide for the abolishment of the Galveston County treasurer and authorizing the county to employ or contract a qualified person or designate another county officer to fulfill the function previously performed by the treasurer.

A "no" vote opposed amending the state constitution to provide for the abolishment of the Galveston County treasurer.

A simple majority vote was required statewide and in Galveston County for the approval of the amendment. In Galveston County, the amendment received 53% of the vote.

Election results

Texas Proposition 12
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		1,212,667	52.94%
No		1,078,056	47.06%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Overview

What did the amendment do?

See also: Text of measure

The Texas Constitution provides that the office of county treasurer may be abolished via a constitutional amendment. The amendment abolished the Galveston County treasurer and authorized the county to employ or contract a qualified person or designate another county officer to fulfill the functions previously performed by the treasurer.

Hank Dugie, elected in 2022, was the Galveston County treasurer at the time of the election. In his 2022 campaign, Hank Dugie called for eliminating the office.

Have other counties eliminated the office of county treasurer?

See also: Ballot measures to abolish county treasurers in Texas

At the time of the election, the last time Texans had decided on such an amendment was in 1987 with the abolition of county treasurers in Gregg, Fayette, and Nueces counties. Andrews, Bee, Bexar, Collin, El Paso, and Tarrant counties had also abolished their county treasurers through the same process.

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title was as follows:

“

The constitutional amendment providing for the abolition of the office of county treasurer in Galveston County.

”

Constitutional changes

See also: Article 16, Texas Constitution

The measure amended section 44 of Article 16 of the state constitution. The following underlined text added, and struck-through text deleted:

County Treasurer and County Surveyor

(a) Except as otherwise provided by this section, the Legislature shall prescribe the duties and provide for the election by the qualified voters of each county in this State, of a County Treasurer and a County Surveyor, who shall have an office at the county seat, and hold their office for four years, and until their successors are qualified; and shall have such compensation as may be provided by law.

(b) The office of County Treasurer or County Surveyor does not exist in those counties in which the office has been abolished pursuant to constitutional amendment or pursuant to the authority of Subsection (c) of this section.

(c) The Commissioners Court of a county may call an election to abolish the office of County Surveyor in the county. The office of County Surveyor in the county is abolished if a majority of the voters of the county voting on the question at that election approve the abolition. If an election is called under this subsection, the Commissioners Court shall order the ballot for the election to be printed to provide for voting for or against the proposition: 'Abolishing the office of county surveyor of this county.' If the office of County Surveyor is abolished under this subsection, the maps, field notes, and other records in the custody of the County Surveyor are transferred to the county officer or employee designated by the Commissioners Court of the county in which the office is abolished, and the Commissioners Court may from time to time change its designation as it considers appropriate.

(d) The office of County Treasurer in Galveston County is abolished. The Commissioners Court of Galveston County may employ or contract with a qualified person or may designate another county officer to perform any of the functions that would have been performed by the County Treasurer if the office had not been abolished.

TEMPORARY PROVISION. (a) The constitutional amendment proposed by the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, abolishing the office of County Treasurer in Galveston County takes effect only if, at the statewide election at which the amendment is submitted to and approved by the voters, a majority of the voters of Galveston County voting on the question at that election also favor the amendment. The amendment takes effect January 1, 2024, if the conditions of this subsection are met.

(b) This temporary provision expires January 2, 2024.

Readability score

See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2023

Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The state legislature wrote the ballot language for this measure.

The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 16, and the FRE is 11. The word count for the ballot title is 16.

Support

Supporters

Officials

• Dickinson City Councilmember Jessie Brantley
• Galveston County Director of Government Relations Zach Davidson
• Galveston County Treasurer Hank Dugie (R)

Organizations

• Texans for Fiscal Responsibility

Arguments

• Galveston County Treasurer Hank Dugie (R): "I believe county treasurer positions were created back in the 1800s and since then, county government and financial technology has really evolved and improved. In Galveston County, we do not need an elected treasure to keep our money safe. We have a system of checks and balances outside of the county treasure that will be able to maintain that for the taxpayers."

Opposition

Opponents

Officials

• Grayson County Treasurer Gayla Hawkins (R)

Organizations

• County Treasurers Association of Texas
• Justices of the Peace and Constables Association of Texas
• True Texas Project

Arguments

• Cass County Treasurer Melissa Shores (R): "The county treasurer’s office is very important to the function of the county as a whole. It is also an important part of checks and balances. It’s possible that the wrong person in office can have a negative impact, but that’s not an excuse to abolish the office."
• True Texas Project: "The current Treasurer campaigned on a promise to eliminate his position, which prompted this legislative action. Since one less government position means less government, we initially supported this amendment. However, we then heard from many conservative activists in the Galveston area who said they don’t want the position to be dissolved because there will be no more accountability to the office and it will be handed to cronies."

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for Texas ballot measures

If you are aware of a committee registered to support or oppose this amendment, please email editor@ballotpedia.org.

	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Support	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Oppose	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Total	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

Media editorials

See also: 2023 ballot measure media endorsements

Ballotpedia identified the following media editorial boards as taking positions on the proposition.

Ballotpedia lists the positions of media editorial boards that support or oppose ballot measures. This does not include opinion pieces from individuals or groups that do not represent the official position of a newspaper or media outlet. Ballotpedia includes editorials from newspapers and outlets based on circulation and readership, political coverage within a state, and length of publication. You can share media editorial board endorsements with us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Support

• Houston Chronicle Editorial Board: "Prop 12: Abolish Galveston County treasurer: For. This proposal, which has precedent in other counties, requires a majority of statewide and Galveston County voters to approve it in the same election. If statewide voters say yes, local voters will be the deciding factor."
• San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board: "Proposition 12: This would abolish the office of county treasurer of Galveston County and assign its duties to other departments. In 2022, Galveston voters elected Hank Dugie as county treasurer knowing his platform was to abolish that office. We assume this is what the voters there want. An aside, Bexar County established this precedent in 1983. Our view: For."
• The Dallas Morning News Editorial Board: "RECOMMENDATION: Yes. County treasurers are responsible for investing county funds and reconciling checking accounts. If voters pass this amendment, the duties of the county treasurer would be reassigned to a contractor or another county employee."
• Fort Worth Star-Telegram Editorial Board: "Galveston County wants to eliminate its elected treasurer position. Again, who are we to say no on such a local concern? Recommendation: For."
• Austin American-Statesman Editorial Board: "Supporters says there simply isn't enough for the county treasurer to do to keep the office open, and that eliminating it would save Galveston County $450,000. Texas voters should give Galveston County voters the opportunity to decide for themselves. Vote 'Yes.'"

Opposition

You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, at editor@ballotpedia.org

Background

Texas county treasurers

See also: Section 44, Article 16 of the Texas Constitution

Section 44, Article 16 of the state Constitution authorizes the legislature to prescribe the duties and provide for the election of county treasurers and surveyors. The constitution states that a county treasurer serves for four years. The section also provides that counties may abolish the office of treasurer or surveyor through the approval of a constitutional amendment placed on the ballot by the state legislature.

County treasurers are the custodians of all county funds and are responsible for distributing county funds according to the directives of the county commissioner’s court.

2022 Galveston County treasurer election

Hank Dugie was elected as Galveston County treasurer in 2022.

In his 2022 campaign, Hank Dugie called for eliminating the office. “My campaign centered around the idea that the office is a waste, taxpayers could save money if we abolished it. It's really not a needed position anymore. It doesn't provide any extra level of protection for taxpayers, all it does is cost them dollars," Dugie said.

On Dec. 23, 2022, the Galveston County Commissioners Court voted unanimously in support of abolishing the office.

Ballot measures to abolish county treasurers in Texas

As of 2023, nine of the 254 Texas counties had abolished their respective treasurers via the ballot measure process. Four measures appeared on statewide ballots between 1982 and 1987 and are listed below.

Year	Measure	Counties	Yes %	No %
1987	Proposition 15	Gregg, Fayette and Nueces counties	69.45%	30.55%
1985	Proposition 14	Andrews and El Paso counties	69.92%	30.08%
1984	Proposition 4	Bexar and Collin counties	67.74%	32.26%
1982	Proposition 5	Tarrant and Bee counties	67.29%	32.71%

Referred measures on the Texas ballot

See also: List of Texas ballot measures

In Texas, a total of 281 ballot measures appeared on statewide ballots between 1985 and 2022. Two hundred forty-eight ballot measures were approved, and 33 ballot measures were defeated.

Texas statewide ballot measures, 1985-2022
Total number	Annual average	Annual minimum	Annual maximum	Approved		Defeated
				#	%	#	%
281	6.39	0	22	248	88.26	33	11.74

Texas ballot measures in odd-numbered years

Between 1995 and 2021, Texans decided on 175 statewide ballot measures appearing on odd-numbered year ballots. Voters approved 160 measures and defeated 15.

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the Texas Constitution

To put a legislatively referred constitutional amendment before voters, a two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required in both the Texas State Senate and the Texas House of Representatives.

Two versions of the amendment passed separately in the state House and state Senate. Senate Joint Resolution 28 was introduced on January 12, 2023. On April 4, 2023, the state Senate passed SJR 28 by a vote of 28-3. House Joint Resolution 134 was introduced on March 13, 2023, and was passed on May 10 by a vote of 106-32 with 11 not voting and one vacancy. HJR 134 was passed in the state Senate on May 16 by a vote of 27-4. HJR 134 was the certified version sent to the ballot.

Vote in the Texas House of Representatives May 10, 2023
Requirement: Two-thirds (66.67 percent) vote of all members in each chamber
Number of yes votes required: 100  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	106	32	11
Total percent	71.1%	21.5%	7.4%
Democrat	41	17	6
Republican	65	15	5

Vote in the Texas State Senate May 16, 2023
Requirement: Two-thirds (66.67 percent) vote of all members in each chamber
Number of yes votes required: 21  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	27	4	0
Total percent	87.1%	12.9%	0.0%
Democrat	9	3	0
Republican	18	1	0

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.

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.

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.

Automatic registration

Texas does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Texas does not permit online voter registration.

Same-day registration

Texas does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

Prospective voters must reside in the county in which they are registering to vote.

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.	”
—Section 18.068, Texas Election Code

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. The review was halted by a federal judge in February 2019, and Secretary of State David Whitley rescinded the advisory in April. 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.”

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. 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

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.

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.

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:

• 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:

• 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.

See also

2023 measures

• 2023 ballot measures
• County and municipal governance on the ballot

Texas

• Texas ballot measures
• Texas ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• House Joint Resolution 134