Bexar County hit record breaking turnout on the first day of early voting on Monday. An unprecedented 46,820 people cast a ballot at the county’s 51 early voting polling sites.
Jacque Callanen, the elections administrator for Bexar County, said voter turnout by the halfway point on the first day of early voting had already hit record numbers, with 23,370 voters.
"I think what we're seeing is what we've been seeing all over the nation," she explained. "We've been listening to the news, and Georgia had 300,000 people vote the very first day for early voting. And I think that's what we're seeing here in Texas, because this is all over the state of Texas, which is wonderful to see these people out."
The sites that saw the largest number of voters were Northwest Vista College, Encino Library, and Brook Hollow Library. Voters reported long lines and waits of 90 minutes or longer in some locations.
At Northwest Vista College, many women who stood in line to vote early said restoring abortion rights was a top issue. Others said their economic concerns guided their decisions in the presidential contest.
Some political pundits said the women's vote could be the difference in the presidential race.
@texaspublicradio Halfway through day one of early voting and Bexar County turnout records were already being broken. TPR Spoke with Bexar County Elections Administrator, Jacquelyn Callanen, about the crowds. She told us that aside from packing your Voter ID San Antonio residents should also pack their patience...and plan for parking. For everything you need to know about this election, visit our TPR Voters Guide at the link in our bio 📹 Joey Palacios, Gabriella Alcorta-Solorio / TPR
♬ original sound - Texas Public Radio
Bexar County has around 1.3 million registered voters, and experts projected eventually 900,000 people will vote in this election cycle. The county's election department planned to further monitor and post about turnout on its Facebook page in the coming days. View the latest numbers here.
The county also planned to ease the voting experience for people living with disabilities, particularly voters who have low vision or are blind or have limited hearing or mobility.
Voting advocates and law enforcement officials also planned to watch for any problems with voting rights or other issues at polling places.
If any voter feels concerned about their experience or other issues at polling places, they may share those concerns with the Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP) or the U.S. Attorney's Office.
“We are interested in that every single Texan can cast a ballot that counts," said Veronikah Warms, a staff attorney for TCRP. "To do that we are part of an election protection coalition. We are a group of non-partisan attorneys that are available to help Texans with any and all of their voting questions or if they see anything concerning at the polls.”
TCRP has set up an election protection hotline — 866-OUR VOTE.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Devlin leads a team of federal officials and FBI agents in San Antonio that will monitor for voting rights concerns and for reports of threats and election fraud. Visit civilrights.justice.gov for information or federal assistance.
The early polling locations open across Bexar County include libraries, community centers, and universities.
Hours for early voting in Bexar County:
- Mon., Oct. 21, thru Fri., Oct. 25: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Sat., Oct. 2: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Sun., Oct. 27: 12 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Mon., Oct. 28 thru Fri., Nov. 1: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
