League City voters to decide on automated license-plate cameras

Voters in League City, a suburb of Houston, Texas, will decide on Tuesday whether the local police department should continue operating 55 automated license-plate reader cameras on public roads. This marks the first election in Texas where residents will directly vote on the future of such surveillance technology.

Proposition A is technically nonbinding, but the League City City Council unanimously voted to honor the results. If a majority of voters reject the use of the cameras, the city has pledged to remove, cover, or bag the devices within 72 hours of the official election certification.

The cameras, which include Flock surveillance technology, collect license plate numbers, timestamps, locations, and vehicle characteristics such as make, model, and color. While the police department states the system does not use facial recognition or record audio, the technology has become a national flashpoint due to concerns regarding intrusive surveillance and potential data abuse.