Early voting begins Monday for some Texas municipal elections, including the cities of Terrell Hills and Leon Valley, as well school board elections in North East, Medina Valley and Southwest Independent School Districts.
For the first time, voters in the May 4 election will also choose candidates to represent them on the Bexar County Appraisal District’s board of directors, following the state’s decision to add elected positions to an appointed board during the last legislative session.
Races for the three at-large appraisal district seats are the only contests some Bexar County voters will see on the May 4 ballot, since San Antonio elects its municipal officials in odd-numbered years.
This election is not to be confused with the primary runoff election on May 28, where Republicans and Democrats must still determine their nominees for the November races, a result of no candidate receiving more than 50% of the vote in the March primary.
A sample ballot for Southwest ISD races can be found here. A sample ballot showing all other Bexar County races can be found here.
What else is on the ballot?
The May 4 election will include the race for one Alamo Community College Trustee, in District 6, and up to three at-large seats on San Antonio Municipal Utility District No. 1.
It will also feature municipal elections in Balcones Heights, China Grove, Elmendorf, Grey Forest, Kirby, Live Oak, Shavano Park, Somerset, St. Hedwig and Universal City.
Voters in Medina Valley ISD will decide on two school bond propositions totaling $290 million. One proposition includes $249 million for school facilities and land, while the other includes $49 million for stadium facilities.
Residents of Shavano Park will decide whether to continue the Shavano Crime Control and Prevention District, paid for by a quarter cent sales tax, through 2034.
And Terrell Hills voters will vote on whether to authorize a property tax freeze for people 65 years of age and older.
When is early voting?
Early voting starts Monday, April 22, and continues through Tuesday, April 30, with 36 voting locations open across Bexar County. Voters can cast their ballot at any voting center. Polls will be CLOSED Friday, April 26 in observance of the Battle of Flowers.
Voting hours vary during the early voting period, with polls opening at 8 a.m. daily except for Sunday, April 28, when they open at noon. Click here to see where and when you can vote early.
When is Election Day?
Saturday, May 4, is election day. On that day, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Additional voting centers across Bexar County will be open. For more information, visit the Bexar County Elections Department’s homepage.
How do I know if I’m eligible to vote?
You are eligible to vote if you registered by the April 4 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 declared by a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be either totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.
How can I determine if I’m registered to vote?
You can check your voter registration status here. You’ll need either:
- your Voter Unique Identifier, or VUID, and your date of birth,
- your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth, or
- your full name, county, date of birth and zip code.
What about voting by mail?
You must request an application from the Bexar County Elections Department to vote by mail. In Texas, you are eligible to vote by mail only if you:
- are 65 years or older on Election Day.
- are disabled.
- expect to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day.
- will be absent from the county you’re registered in during early voting and on Election Day.
- are in jail but otherwise eligible to vote.
On your application to vote by mail, you must include an ID number, either your Texas Driver’s License number, your Personal ID number or the last four digits of your Social Security Number. The law requires that one of the numbers must match a number on your voter registration record.
Is it too late to apply to vote by mail?
The deadline for Bexar County to receive your application to vote by mail is Tuesday, April 23.
What do I need to bring with me to vote?
You need to provide one of the following seven forms of identification:
- 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
- U.S. military identification card containing your photograph
- U.S. citizenship certificate containing your photograph
- U.S. passport (book or card)
If you don’t have one of the seven forms of identification listed above and can’t reasonably get one, you can fill out a form declaring a “reasonable impediment” and bring one of these:
- A copy or original of a government document that shows your name and an address, including your voter registration certificate
- A current utility bill
- A bank statement
- A government check
- A paycheck
- A copy 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 that establishes your identity, which may include a foreign birth document
If I’m registered to vote but haven’t received my voter registration card, can I still vote?
Yes. You aren’t required to show your registration certificate to vote in person. Just be sure to bring one of seven approved forms of photo ID for voting, and know what forms of ID you can bring if you don’t possess and can’t reasonably obtain one.
