Sign up for TPR Today, Texas Public Radio's newsletter that brings our top stories to your inbox each morning.
Michele Carew, the new Bexar County elections administrator, named her top election-related priorities during a news conference on her first day on the job on Monday.
Carew has to hit the ground running for the May 3 elections, which includes a crowded San Antonio mayor's race.
She said the immediate needs in order to best assist voters are already clear to her: "Honestly, finding more election workers and finding anyone that is bilingual — those are the main challenges right now that I see."
She also said she wants upgrades to technology, including to the election's website.
"The website is something major that we'll be working on, that we'll be addressing," Carew said. "I know that I've had people send me screenshots from their cell phones, and it's not cell phone-friendly, so we'll definitely work on that."
Carew said she could not make turnout predictions in the May 3 elections because she has yet to look at turnout figures for an election held during Fiesta.
But Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai, who introduced Carew to the media, said turnout could be lower because San Antonians like to celebrate during Fiesta.
Sakai, who also chairs the Bexar County Elections Commission that selected Carew from 200 applicants, expressed confidence in her abilities to oversee the election, which is just two months away. He said the Hood County judge's recommendation letter about Carew was "glowing" with praise for her work ethic and integrity as the elections administrator there.
Sakai and Carew both said they were committed to registering new voters.
The county judge was asked to react to a call by some state lawmakers in Austin for legislation to limit voter registration to just political parties and the candidates themselves.
"We want the vote to turn out, not to presume any predictive outcome," Sakai said. "People need to vote, and I'm going to do my very best as county judge to protect their right to vote."
Sakai said he has worked closely with the elections office, and Carew has her "marching orders."
Carew said other top priorities include improved election security and voter outreach, including meetings with deputy volunteer voter registrars.
Bexar County Clerk Lucy Adame-Clark and Bexar County Republican Party Chair Kris Coons, who are two other members of the elections commission that hired Carew, also attended the news conference to speak in support of the new hire.
Carew replaced the retired Jacque Callanen, who served as elections administrator for two decades. She said she has "mad respect" for Callanen, who wished her "good luck" on her new job after the pair got a chance to discuss future concerns for the office.
The elections office has 15 to 20 full-time employees, Carew said.
