Voters lined up at polling sites across Bexar County on Tuesday to select state, county, and congressional leaders, pass judgment on school district and municipal issues and, in general, shape the political landscape for at least the next few years.
Polls opened at 7 a.m. After lower than usual turnout numbers during the early voting period, it was not clear if Election Day numbers would surprise or remain comparatively muted during this midterm season.
By late afternoon on Tuesday, the Bexar County Elections Department Facebook page reported more than 128,000 votes cast. It did not comment on that turnout number.
TPR visited several polling sites on Tuesday morning and found steady-to-brisk turnout. At both Edmund Cody Library and Lions Field, a line of 40 to 50 voters moved slowly and steadily.
Some voters, including Lucas Gutierrez, had clear motivations to turning out to vote on Tuesday. “I would say the border issues, inflation, and then the overall well-being of this country,” he said.
Claudia Charbel Cuento said her motivation to vote was the children. “The children who lost their lives needlessly. They need to be represented and Beto is going to do that for us,” she said. “I don't want to have to fear my child going to public school. I made him, and I want to keep him.”
Ricky Martinez said he voted for the first time. “I used to live in California, and I don't want some things that are happening over there to come to Texas. That's what motivated me,” he said.
Abortion rights was Ashley Schwartz's motivation. "So, I'm very much pro-choice, and I don't like the way that our state and our country are going towards stripping women of their rights and their choices,” she said. “So I wanted to come out and vote for Beto and hopefully get Gov. Abbott out of office."
Brooklyn Cmerek also had the abortion issue on her mind. “I always say that I am fiscally conservative and socially a Democrat,” she said. “But being a woman and a mother of daughters, I think it's very important that we control get the control back over our bodies. And that's the number one reason why I'm here today.”
Racquel Michael didn’t cite a specific issue or candidate. She just felt it was really important to cast her vote. “I just know that I'm considered younger, and I wanted my vote to be taken today because I know that a lot of people that are my age, like mid-twenties, maybe early twenties, don't get out to vote. And I think we should exercise our right to vote,” she said.
Char Cushman's motivation leaned red. “I’m a Republican. Actually, I’m a Constitutional Conservative,” Cushman said. “All the problems that are going on right now .. I don’t like Biden, Beto, and all of those.”
