Roughly 250 voting locations will be open Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for municipal elections in San Antonio and other Bexar County municipalities.
It’s the last day City of San Antonio residents can vote in mayoral and City Council races and to weigh in on a proposed city charter amendment that’s proven contentious.
Because of redistricting, some 40,000 San Antonio residents are in different council districts for this election than they were for the last city elections in 2021. After the 2020 census, the city was required by law to redistribute residents among the 10 council districts so there is no more than 10% overall population difference between the smallest and largest districts.
To find out whether your council district has changed, click here.
Need a lift to a polling place? To encourage civic participation, VIA Metropolitan Transit is waiving fares to voting locations for customers who present a valid voter registration card to the bus or van driver. The service is available for regular VIA buses, VIA Link and VIAtrans paratransit service. A group called Rideshare2Vote also is offering voters rides to polling locations. To request a ride, visit https://rideshare2vote.com/request-a-ride/ or call 888-977-2250.
Read on for more helpful election information.
What’s on the ballot?
Every City Council seat is up for election, with voters picking representatives for a two-year term. The seats in District 7 and District 10 are open; the other seats have incumbents seeking reelection.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg is seeking his fourth and final two-year term, facing eight opponents, none of whom are considered likely to oust him.
Beyond those races, what was driving early voting turnout in some districts was Proposition A, also known as the Justice Charter. The package of reforms would change the city charter to decriminalize marijuana and abortion, further restrict police officers’ use of no-knock warrants, ban chokeholds and expand the city’s cite-and-release policy for some low-level, nonviolent crimes.
At least four political action committees both for and against Prop A are working to sway voters’ decisions on the proposed charter amendment, which is 432 words long. For more information about what’s in Proposition A, click here.
Also on the ballot are school trustee elections in Northside Independent School District, San Antonio ISD, Judson ISD, Harlandale ISD and Southwest ISD, along with school bond issues in Alamo Heights ISD, Comal ISD and Southwest ISD.
Several Bexar County municipalities are electing council members or aldermen.
To see a sample ballot, click here.
To learn more about Prop A and who’s running for City Council and mayor, check out the San Antonio Report’s 2023 city election guide.
Where can I vote?
The Bexar County Elections Department will open roughly 250 voting centers across San Antonio and Bexar County on Saturday, with voters eligible to cast their ballots at any of them. Find a list of them here.
How can I determine if I’m registered to vote?
In order to vote, you need to be registered. You can check your voter registration status here. All you need are a few things: Voter Unique Identifier (VUID) or Texas Driver’s License number, your name, county and date of birth.
How do I know if I’m eligible to vote?
You are eligible to vote if you registered by the April 6 deadline and are:
- A U.S. citizen
- A resident of the county where you submit your voter registration application
- At least 18 years old on Election Day
- Not a convicted felon (you may be eligible to vote if you have completed your sentence, probation and parole)
- Not been declared by a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be either totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.
Do I need to bring my voter registration card with me?
No, but it will make the check-in process faster if you have your card with you. If you don’t have it, you will need to bring a driver license or other form of positive identification. Here are the accepted forms of ID:
- Texas driver license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Texas election identification certificate issued by DPS
- Texas personal ID card issued by DPS
- Texas handgun license issued by DPS
- U.S. military ID card with photograph
- U.S. citizenship certificate with photograph
- U.S. passport (book or card)
If you don’t have and can’t reasonably obtain one of the seven approved forms of photo ID, you can fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration at the voting location and present an alternative form of ID, such as a utility bill, bank statement, government check or a voter registration certificate.
What if I am voting by mail?
If you applied to vote by mail, your ballot must be postmarked no later than 7 p.m. on May 6. If you are mailing a ballot from outside the U.S., it must be delivered to the Bexar County Elections Department no later than five days after May 6.
