Elections Dept. gives Bexar County Dems and GOP tours in name of transparency
Roughly 16 people, including the Democrat and Republican party chairs, took up the offer for tours around the department, as staff members explained various processes and showed examples of the polling and tabulation equipment.
โWe had a success story,โ Mail ballot rejections plummeted in May 7 election
Though more Bexar County voters voted by mail in the May 7 election than had in the Mar. 1 primary, the preliminary mail ballot rejection rate of 3% was far lower than the 21.7% that left thousands of ballots uncounted two months earlier.
Mail-in ballots received today at Bexar County Elections Department will count, official says
The election isnโt over just yet in Bexar County. Although the races have been called, mail ballots continue to be delivered to the Bexar County Elections Department, Administrator Jacque Callanen said in a press conference on Wednesday. The additional mail-in ballots will not change the outcome of any of the Bexar County races because no race has a margin of victory smaller than the number of ballots that are expected. However, the additional ballots will add to more than 760,000 votes cast in Bexar County throughout the presidential election, a record-breaking number. โWeโre really proud of Bexar County,โ Callanen said.
WATCH LIVE: Bexar County Elections Department to hold post-Election Day news conference
SAN ANTONIO โ The Bexar County Elections Department has scheduled a post-Election Day update for 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The news conference will be livestreamed in this article. A total of 756,039 votes were cast in Bexar County, a 63.57% voter turnout, according to the Secretary of Stateโs Office. Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen said on Tuesday that mail-in ballots will still be counted into Wednesday. The county voted blue in the biggest race of the night, casting 397,338 votes for Democrat Joe Biden versus 266,145 for President Donald Trump, as of 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Bexar County pulls in more than 66,700 voters so far on Election Day
SAN ANTONIO โ As Election Day approaches its final hours, Bexar County polling locations are seeing a drop in the average number of voters per hour. A total of 66,761 people have voted in-person on Election Day, Callanen said. it is unlikely that Bexar County will reach the expected 175,000 vote mark that the department had expected, she said. The busiest sites on Election Day include the Great Northwest Library, the Julia Yates Semmes Library, the Encino Library, the McCreless Library and the Brook Hollow Library. Polls at more than 300 voting locations in Bexar County will stay open until 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
Voters explain reasons for dropping off mail-in ballot in person
SAN ANTONIO โ On the eve of Election Day, several voters with mail-in ballots dropped them off Monday at the Bexar County Elections Department. Harold Clay explained that he waited until Monday to drop off his ballot in order to have more time to vet the candidates. โI know, obviously, the upper level candidates,โ Clay said. โBut the lower level candidates, the judges and things like that, I donโt know them that well, so I want to be well informed.โClay said he chose the mail-in voting method for one main reason. โIโm over 65 and just because of COVID I donโt want to be around crowds.โMail-in ballots will only be accepted at the Bexar County Elections Department from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Election Results 2020: San Antonio voters approve Pre-K 4 SA, workforce training propositions and VIA transportation proposal
San Antonio voters approve all three propositionsSan Antonio voters have approved all three propositions, according to voting numbers released from the Bexar County Elections Department. Proposition B - the 1/8 cent tax for workforce development - will fund a workforce training and education program. And, the 1/8 cent tax for SA: Ready to Work will be diverted to transportation after its funding expires at the end of 2025. โIโm grateful to the San Antonio voting public that they support one another, especially during a time of crisis," Nirenberg said. Voters would essentially renew the sales tax for the same purpose, as the sales tax that voters approved in November 2012 will expire in 2021.
WATCH: Bexar County Elections Department gives final early voting update
SAN ANTONIO โ On the final day of early voting, the Bexar County Elections Department will give an update on the countyโs numbers during a news conference on Friday afternoon. Bexar County voters have until 10 p.m. to cast a ballot during early voting. More than 637,000 people have voted at the countyโs 48 early voting sites so far. Thatโs compared to 436,731 votes received during all of early voting in 2016, which had 12 days of early voting like previous election cycles. Texas had 17 days of early voting this year due to a proclamation from Gov.
WATCH: Elections department gives update as Bexar County starts last week of early voting
SAN ANTONIO โ With only five days remaining to vote early, the Bexar County Elections Department will give an update on the countyโs early voting status during a news conference on Monday morning. Bexar County voters have until Friday to cast a ballot during early voting. A total of 435,505 people have voted at the countyโs 48 early voting sites so far. Thatโs compared to 436,731 votes received during all of early voting in 2016, which had 12 days of early voting like previous election cycles. Texas has 17 days of early voting this year due to a proclamation from Gov.
Bexar County Elections Department gives early voting update at 10:30 a.m.
SAN ANTONIO โ The Bexar County Elections Department will deliver an update on early voting Monday morning at 10:30 a.m. In Bexar County, voters can choose from nearly 50 polling places, including mega-voting sites like the AT&T Center and the Alzafar Shrine Auditorium that allow for better social distancing. For a full list of early voting locations, click here. The hours for early voting are as follows:Monday to Saturday, Oct. 19-24: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.Sunday, Oct. 25: Noon-6 p.m.Monday to Friday, Oct. 26-30: 8 a.m.-10 p.m.Bexar County voters can cast a ballot anywhere in the county during early voting and election day. Click here to see the busiest and slowing polling locations in the county.
Pandemic, legal battles creating hurdles for Bexar County Elections Department
The year 2020 has been full of surprises and chaos for most of us, and it has been no different for the Bexar County Elections Department. The elections department has had to await rulings in legal battles, juggle lawsuits against them and adapt to new COVID-19 safety protocols this year. Who is on the November 2020 election ballot for Bexar CountyStaff is also staying busy with an increase of people hand-delivering their mail-in ballots due to concerns mail service will be delayed. โWeโre averaging about 500 a day that people were coming in when they delivered their ballot here,โ Callanen said. The voter themselves must deliver the ballot, present their photo identification and sign the ballot if theyโre delivering it to the Bexar County Elections Department in person.
Bexar County Elections Department holds news conference day before early voting kicks off
SAN ANTONIO โ The Bexar County Elections Department will deliver an update ahead of early voting, which begins Tuesday and lasts until Oct. 30. Texans will be allowed to cast a ballot during an extended early voting period due to the coronavirus pandemic. In Bexar County, voters can choose from nearly 50 polling places, including mega-voting sites like the AT&T Center and the Alzafar Shrine Auditorium that allow for better social distancing. For a full list of early voting locations, click here. The hours for early voting are as follows:Tuesday to Saturday, Oct. 13-17: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.Sunday, Oct. 18: Noon-6 p.m.Monday to Saturday, Oct. 19-24: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.Sunday, Oct. 25: Noon-6 p.m.Monday to Friday, Oct. 26-30: 8 a.m.-10 p.m.Bexar County voters can cast a ballot anywhere in the county during early voting and election day.
Early voting can start Oct. 13, as scheduled, Texas Supreme Court rules
Greg Abbott ordered that early voting for the general election in Texas begin nearly a week earlier than usual, a response to the coronavirus pandemic. Abbott added six days to the early voting period through an executive order, an exercise of the emergency powers he has leaned into during the virus crisis. But state Republican leaders have resisted those calls, fighting Democrats fiercely in court on such issues and sticking largely to business as usual. Abbottโs order to extend the early voting period has been the main way the state adjusted voting procedures during the pandemic. Abbott had also doubled the early voting period for lower-turnout primary runoff elections held in July.
Bexar County Elections Department faces lawsuit 28 days before Election Day
SAN ANTONIO โ The Bexar County Elections Department faces a lawsuit with just 28 days until the general election. โBexar County must be prepared to handle more voters than it ever has before while maintaining healthy voting practices. Instead, Bexar County has decided to close polling locations,โ MOVE Texas Civic Fund Executive Director H. Drew Galloway. Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen released the following statement Wednesday regarding the lawsuit. โThis matter is currently in litigation and the Bexar County Elections Department will leave it to the courts to make the final decision, as we focus on the upcoming election.
Bexar County Elections Department holds voter registration update
The Bexar County Elections Department is holding a news conference at 1:30 p.m. Monday. The department is expected to reveal its latest voter registration count, as Monday marks the last day of voter registration in Texas. Officials also recently recently unveiled a mail ballot tracker tool voters can utilize to make sure their vote arrived to its destination. Since 2016, Bexar County has registered 112,951 new voters as of Monday, Bexar County Elections Department Administrator Jacquelyn Callanen said. โThatโs like having the population of Comal County be here in Bexar County over those four years,โ Callanen said.
Bexar County Elections Department holds voter registration update
The Bexar County Elections Department is holding a news conference at 1 p.m. Thursday. Since 2016, Bexar County has registered 112,951 new voters as of Monday, Bexar County Elections Department Administrator Jacquelyn Callanen said. In total, 1,162,040 voters are currently registered in Bexar County. โThatโs like having the population of Comal County be here in Bexar County over those four years,โ Callanen said. Mail-in ballot applications will be accepted until 11 days before Election Day, as per state law.
Bexar County voters 65 and older will be sent vote-by-mail applications later this month
SAN ANTONIO Following a recent Bexar County Court Commissioners meeting, the Bexar County Elections Department is preparing to send vote-by-mail application to all voters 65 or older. The Bexar County Commissioners Court directed officials to proactively mail the application to eligible voters during a meeting on Aug. 18. During the COVID-19 briefing later that day, Wolff said that there are roughly 250,000 voters age 65 or older in the county. Bexar Countys decision to send applications ahead of the election comes as the Harris County GOP and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton challenged Harris County Clerk Chris Collins in court over a similar plan. Collins initially announced he would send applications to every registered voter in Harris County, before narrowing it down to voters 65 or older.
Mega voting centers a go for November election, county commissioners looking at more voting options
San Antonio Bexar County Commissioners want to institute more options, if possible, to make voting easier and safer for Bexar County voters in October and November, but the elections administrator says not all of those ideas may be possible. Callanen told reporters the Bexar County Elections Department is thrilled about the mega centers, and it already has agreements to use the AT&T Center in Precinct 4 and the Alzafar Shrine Auditorium in Precinct 3. However, Callanen indicated to reporters that other ideas - a 24-hour early voting location and drop-boxes for mail-in ballots - likely wouldnt pan out. Those voters could only cast their ballot at the Bexar County Elections Department, which is the main Early Voting site and is only open during office hours. Were talking about maybe one day each week of Early Vote, having one center open for 24 hours, Rodriguez told reporters.
Bexar County GOP chair refuses to certify runoff election totals after losing in landslide
SAN ANTONIO โ After a bruising defeat in the runoff election for Bexar County GOP chair, Cynthia Brehm announced on Thursday she will not certify the results. โTherefore, I cannot in good conscious (sic) certify the results of this election.โRepublican voters in Bexar County largely rejected Brehm in favor of her opponent, John Austin. Austin received nearly two-thirds of the votes, election data showed. Before the runoff election, Brehm stoked controversy when she shared a Facebook post suggesting George Floydโs death was staged for political reasons. The Bexar County Elections Department did not respond to requests seeking comment on Brehmโs allegations on Thursday.
Three Bexar County voting centers close prior to July 14 primary runoff election
SAN ANTONIO The Bexar County Elections Department announced on Monday that officials opted to close three voting center locations for the July 14 primary runoff election. In a statement, Bexar County elections officials said they closed the election centers due to challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. As of today, 214 vote centers will be open tomorrow, rather than the 217 publicized sites, for in-person voting from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, election officials said in a statement. Storm Elementary Voters will be redirected to Sarah King Elementary, 1001 Ceralvo Street. Elections officials ask that voters respect all election officials by wearing masks in polling locations.
Separate Bexar County primaries possible
SAN ANTONIO โ Bexar County Democrats and Republicans could be headed to different polling sites and vastly different voting experiences in the March primary. Bexar County Republican Party Chairwoman Cynthia Brehm refused to sign a joint resolution at Tuesdayโs Commissioner Court meeting that would agree to participating in a joint primary administered by the Bexar County Elections Department. Democratic voters, however, would vote in a primary run by the Bexar County Elections Department. Separate primaries were last held in Bexar County in 2002, and Callanen said there was a lot of disarray, especially for the Republicans, who she said did not have sufficient staffing at polling sites. Brehm did not respond to a request for comment through the Bexar County Republican Party.