The Democratic primary runoff for Bexar County judge between former Judge Peter Sakai and state Rep. Ina Minjarez is commanding the most local attention as voters head to the polls Tuesday.
However, early voting among Bexar County Democrats in the primary runoff was down 39.5% from the March 1 primary and the electorate skewed older, according to data provided by San Antonio political strategist Bert Santibañez.
Voters 65 years and older who cast Democratic ballots made up 61% of the electorate during early voting, which ran Monday through Friday of last week. That’s compared to 40% of the electorate in early voting for the previous round.
Santibañez’s data includes mail-in ballots, which were not yet available from the Bexar County Elections Department as of Monday.
The early voting period saw 29,008 Democratic ballots casts and 21,758 Republican ballots submitted, according to Bexar County.
Voters must vote in the same party primary in which they voted in March, but voters who didn’t cast a ballot in the earlier round can vote in the runoff.
The runoff that pits Sakai, the former Children’s Court judge, and Minjarez, who has represented the 124th district in the Texas Legislature since 2015, and will determine who will face Republican Trish DeBerry in the November general election. Nelson Wolff has served as county judge since 2001.
Part of Bexar County also will weigh in on the high-profile Democratic runoff between U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar and Jessica Cisneros in Texas’ 28th Congressional District. The county is considered a central part of Cisneros’ campaign and gave her 73% of its vote in March, compared to 21% for Cuellar.
Unlike the March primary, early voting for the runoff didn’t include any weekend voting days, something Democratic Party leaders warned would discourage younger voters.
Just 747 voters under the age of 24 cast a vote during early voting for the runoff, less than 2% of the electorate, according to Santibañez. Voters ages 25 to 35 cast 1,681 ballots, making up 4.3% of the electorate.
Campaigning alongside Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders at San Antonio’s Second Baptist Church on Friday night, Cisneros sought to rally support among a group of voters that played a big role in propelling her to a runoff against Cuellar.
“Before we leave, take the time to text three of your friends,” she said. “Make sure that they have a plan to vote.”
Among Democrats’ early runoff voters in Bexar County, 58% were women, according to Santibañez’s data.
Hispanic voters made up 47% of the early voters, while white voters accounted for 41% and black voters accounted for 11%.
Both Cuellar and Cisneros will finish out their campaigns at their home bases in Laredo, where early voting turnout was much higher than Bexar County. In Webb County, which includes Laredo, early voting was up .5% in the runoff, compared to the March 1 primary. Cuellar carried Webb with 60% of the vote in that race.
What’s on the ballot?
In addition to runoffs for statewide elections such as the Republican contest for attorney general, Bexar County voters will determine party nominees in congressional races.
In the 21st District, Claudia Andreana Zapata is facing Ricardo Villarreal for the right to take on the Republican incumbent, Chip Roy, in November.
In addition to the Cuellar-Cisneros contest, there’s also a runoff in the 28th District on the Republican side, where Cassy Garcia and Sandra Whitten are vying for the nomination. In the 35th District, Dan McQueen faces Michael Rodriguez in a contest to see who will face Democrat Greg Casar for an open seat.
The Republican ballot includes runoff contests for state House District 122 — featuring former San Antonio City Councilwoman Elisa Chan and former county GOP Chair Mark Dorazio — and Bexar County party chairman.
Democratic voters also will decide a runoff for the State Board of Education. Both ballots include runoffs for judicial seats and elections for local precinct chairs.
The ballot also features statewide runoff races for Texas attorney general (both parties), lieutenant governor (Democrat), land commissioner (both parties), comptroller (Democrat) and railroad commissioner (Republican).
How can I determine if I’m registered to vote?
You can check your voter registration status here. All you need is your Voter ID number or Texas Driver License number, your name, county of residence and date of birth.
When can I vote?
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you are in line at 7 p.m. you are still permitted to vote.
Where can I vote?
There are more than 250 voting locations throughout Bexar County, including the Elections Department at 1103 S. Frio St., and voters can cast ballots at any of them. Find the full list here.
Can I vote by mail?
The deadline to apply to vote by mail has passed, but if you requested one and plan to vote by mail, the Bexar County Elections Department has detailed instructions here on how to make sure your vote counts.
What do I need to bring with me to vote?
You need to provide one of the following seven forms of identification:
- Texas Driver 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 your photograph
- United States Citizenship Certificate containing your photograph
- United States Passport (book or card)
If you are 70 or older and your ID is expired, you may still present it as a form of identification.
If you don’t have one of these seven forms of identification and can’t reasonably get one, you can fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration form at the polls and present an alternative form of ID, such as a utility bill, bank statement, government check, or your voter registration certificate.
Have more questions?
Check out VoteTexas.gov. Or ask us in the comments, and we’ll find an answer for you.
