SAN ANTONIO – SAN ANTONIO--Bexar County Commissioners on Tuesday approved 38 early voting locations for the upcoming March 3 primary, 10 more than during the previous primary.
“We’re expecting a healthy turnout,” said Bexar County elections Administrator Jacque Callanen.
Callanen said given the national political climate in a presidential election year, it’s likely the turnout this year could meet or even exceed the turnout in 2016 for the last presidential election.
She said in 2016, 25% of Bexar County registered voters cast ballots and 18% in 2018.
Callanen said she’s also taken into account the county’s growing population, and the fact that since 2018, there are now 150,000 new voters registered, resulting in 1.24 million registered voters, the highest ever in Bexar County.
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“Just that in itself tells us there’s going to be an increase,” Callanen said.
She said for the first time, Texas A&M San Antonio will be among the early voting locations.
However, Antonio Diaz, co-chair of the Green Party of Bexar County, said he welcomes additional voting sites, but more are needed on the East Side and South Side.
"You can vote for anyone at any site, " Diaz said. “But if there’s no site at all, how do you vote?”
Callanen has said that potential voting sites are contacted, but some choose not to hold elections at those locations.
She said Republicans and Democrats can still vote at the same locations during early voting like they have since 2002.
However, any talk of a separate primary apparently is no longer the case, according to Cynthia Brehm, chairwoman of the Republican Party of Bexar County.
Brehm said she had “some personal issues” that needed to be resolved, but she wouldn’t elaborate.
“Since that time, we’ve come to a resolution, an agreement, and so we’re moving forward,” Brehm said.
Early Voting Sites List
Bexar County March Primary Election Sites by David Ibanez on Scribd