Early voting kicked off with a bang Monday, resulting in extensive lines at select polling locations. San Antonians may choose to vote at one of 43 locations from Monday, Oct. 24 through Friday, Nov. 4, thus avoiding even longer lines and being bound to the polling place in their particular precinct.
With record highs in voter registration – 1,045,360 according to the Texas Secretary of State website – election officials expect 60-65% of votes this year to be cast during the early voting period.
“(Citizens) can go at their convenience,” Elections Administrator Jacquelyn Callanen told the Rivard Report. “On election day, they’re bound by the 12-hour, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. (schedule), and they have to go to the precinct by their home. (During early voting) we have 43 sites open, and voters in Bexar County can go to any of those 43 sites over the next 12 days.”
To search for your individualized sample ballot, click here. You can also check out a map of early voting sites here.
In addition to a heated presidential contest, Bexar County voters will elect representatives from Congressional Districts 20, 21, 23, 28, and 35, with national attention on the the neck-and-neck race between District 23’s Republican Will Hurd and Democrat Pete Gallego. Voters will also decide on a number of important tax and bond ballot questions, including a $0.13 tax increase and $450 million bond in San Antonio ISD.
Following a July 2016 federal court ruling that declared Texas voting ID laws in violation of the Voting Rights Act, voters can choose from a broader – though still restricted – range of documents to identify themselves, including an Election Identification Card (EIC). For more information on voter identification, click here.
“It’s never too late,” Callanen said. “Early voting just started. We’ll be open for the next 12 days, so (voters) can get their IDs, and there will be plenty of time.”
