BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – The Bexar County Elections Department is facing a backlog that has increased to 6,000 voter registration applications, according to Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones.
During a KSAT Q&A last week, the mayor said there was originally a backlog of about 4,000 voter registration applications but said Tuesday that the number has risen as the deadline to register to vote nears.
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In a statement, the department attributed the slowdown in processing registrations to issues with the Texas Secretary of State’s software but said all pending voter registrations will be processed in time for the primary election.
A spokesperson for the county told KSAT they’re addressing the backlog by bringing in 12 temporary staff members.
The mayor said in another KSAT Q&A on Tuesday that Bexar County opts to use a different contract from other counties, “which is now resulting in the delay of us acquiring this system.”
“We need to use the (vendor contract) that literally every other county has used,” Jones said.
Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert put out a statement on Tuesday saying the proposed contract “has gotten convoluted” and won’t be accepted by the state’s voter registration vendor in its current form.
Voters are encouraged to register as soon as possible to ensure their applications are processed in time for the primary.
Key election dates:
- Feb. 2: Last day to register to vote
- Feb.17-27: Early voting period
- Feb. 20: Last day to apply for mail-in ballots
- March 3: Election Day and deadline for mail-in ballots to be returned
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.
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