SAN ANTONIO – The first day of early voting in Texas started with a bang.
Across the state, election administrators are bracing for a record-breaking turnout amid a tumultuous 2020 and the coronavirus pandemic.
The Bexar County Elections Department said each polling site saw lines of voters on Tuesday morning. By noon, 10,509 voters cast a ballot in Bexar County, the department said. Further tallies would be available by day’s end, election officials said.
“The early ‘birds’ are out today,” the department said on Facebook. “Please come prepared to vote - have your selections written down before you head out to vote.”
At the AT&T Center, which is a polling site for the first time, voters waited up to an hour.
“We felt it was incredibly important to vote,” Kris Davis, who stood in line from 7:50-8:50 a.m., told KSAT.
A record number of Bexar County residents — 1,181,000 — are registered to vote for this presidential election. Across the state, 16 million Texans are registered to vote.
And with the gates of the early voting period unlocked, tens of thousands of Texans filed in to fulfill their civic duty.
View social media videos and photos of long lines at polling centers across Texas below.
Early voting lasts until Oct. 30 in Texas, and Election Day is slated for Nov. 3. For a list of polling places in Bexar County, click here.
Find more election resources, like who is on the ballot, on our Vote 2020 page.
San Antonio
Rise and shine, it's time to #VoteEarly!
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 13, 2020
Early voting is underway here at the @attcenter 🗳🏠 pic.twitter.com/rWCmGV0I91
Voting at @UTSA this morning. The line is wrapped around the building and more are arriving.
— Ileana González (@IleanaGonzxlez) October 13, 2020
Glad we fought to make UTSA an early voting location @hdrewgalloway @CommishJRod pic.twitter.com/UW8yqmF1I9
30 minutes before voting starts and the line is probably 200 people here at Great Northwest Library in San Antonio #TexasEarlyVoting pic.twitter.com/kMZSnmzhpc
— Matthew Baiza (@MatthewBaiza) October 13, 2020
Polls don’t open for another hour here at the NAC in San Antonio and the line is already snaking into the parking lot. Gonna be a huge (!!!) day of early voting in Texas! pic.twitter.com/eLDe7zWn2c
— Sharon Yang (@sharonjqyang) October 13, 2020
First Day early voting-0830. San Antonio, TX Bring a battle buddy, water, munchies, hat or other cover and a seat if needed. Let's do this!!#VoteEarly #VoteBlueToSaveAmerica pic.twitter.com/4fNFc4Shki
— Melis (@grouchylib) October 13, 2020
Early voting starting in San Antonio. Long lines already. #vote @COSAGOV @PuroPincheSA pic.twitter.com/jATuh0utGI
— Chiko Patel (@Chiko3214) October 13, 2020
Austin area
Hundreds in line to vote at Austin Oaks Church in SW Austin.#vote pic.twitter.com/20GILeJdPf
— Matt Largey (@mattlargey) October 13, 2020
South Austin Rec Center just started letting folks in to vote. The line runs the perimeter of the field here. One person I just spoke with had been camped out since 5:30 this morning. pic.twitter.com/6OgNOSZiu8
— Andrew England Weber (@England_Weber) October 13, 2020
It’s dark. It’s early. And about 50 people are lined up at the Ruiz Branch of APL (cars keep piling in) getting ready to vote. The first two people got here at 5:30 because they wanted to ensure they got their ballot in early @KUT pic.twitter.com/USiEy4xCmp
— Claire McInerny (@ClaireMcInerny) October 13, 2020
Houston area
This is insane! Check out the line for the first day of early voting at one of Houston’s biggest early voting sites. It literally wraps around the block!! People were in line an hour before polls even opened at 7 am pic.twitter.com/o7nHh9jCAn
— Jeremy Wallace (@JeremySWallace) October 13, 2020
Over 275 people in line to vote @KatyLibrary! #txlege #gotv https://t.co/j26ewzU6NV pic.twitter.com/NcTOkrA4eV
— State Rep. Gina Calanni (@gina_calanni) October 13, 2020
Folks have been lining up to vote early at the NRG arena site in Houston since 5am. Doors open at 7am. Right now the line stretches down to the freeway. I’ll have a live interview with one of those voters coming up on @NBCNewsNow. pic.twitter.com/aV3zBg3lMu
— Priscilla Thompson (@PriscillaWT) October 13, 2020
Galveston
The line in my small town in Texas. Democracy in action! pic.twitter.com/WILw9MOofT
— 216K+ Dead Americans and counting. (@Sallybucket259) October 13, 2020
Dallas area
There are three things I'd wait for in a line this stupid long in Texas...
— Southern Mark Smith (@MirlitonPirogue) October 13, 2020
1) The Drive Through @StateFairOfTX
2) The @FranklinBbq brisket
3) To vote in this election https://t.co/3zPXyikHkU pic.twitter.com/y4PmuDWrcV
Polls now open for early voting in Dallas Co. Line already stretches around the outside of the American Airlines Center. A man near the front says he pulled in about 5:30 a.m. “I wanted to make my voice heard.” pic.twitter.com/IiuoQuA8tv
— Alan Scaia (@scaia) October 13, 2020
9 AM, 1st day early voting in Dallas Co. Line all the way around the church. Now is the time. Make your plan and VOTE. See @DallasElections for voting locations. Remember you can early vote at any polling place in the county, not just your precinct. @RafaelAnchia @racunatx pic.twitter.com/0bzFRPepUx
— Dan Healy (@CivitasDan) October 13, 2020
Corpus Christi
Early voting started at Veteran’s Memorial High School in Corpus Christi, TX at 8am. It’s now 8:25 and 3 people have voted due to software issues. The line is out the door.#VoteTexas pic.twitter.com/axrWxEBWCt
— Ryan Bailey (@rcb288) October 13, 2020
El Paso
El Paso, Texas. 8:30 am. Day one for early voting. Roughly 50-60 people in outside. Not sure wheat line exists Inside. pic.twitter.com/gW1bymrtXp
— johnnnnnyy (@henryallthecorn) October 13, 2020
Rio Grande Valley
One person taking advantages of #EarlyVoting in #Brownsville had a great idea to bring a chair while he waits in line to vote. #RGV #TexasEarlyVoting pic.twitter.com/2NJvqegnPJ
— Laura Martinez (@laurabrmartinez) October 13, 2020
Early Voting in Mcallen, Tx! This makes me so happy to see! #earlyvotingtexas pic.twitter.com/AzL20ZMypz
— Averagejane (@averagejanedohh) October 13, 2020
Waco
It’s already a busy morning for voting here in Waco! First Assembly of God has been open for voting for about half an hour, but people were lining up well before 8 this morning. pic.twitter.com/p1bvEsfipT
— Hannah Hall KWTX (@HannahHallTV) October 13, 2020
Midland
🚨🚨 MIDLAND TEXAS!! I have never seen a line even on election day! pic.twitter.com/KdiArKEaOU
— Lindsey #Vote 🗳 😷 🌱 🛹 💙 (@BlueTX2020) October 13, 2020
Lubbock
It’s 9:30 am on the first day of early voting here in #Lubbock and lots of folks are already waiting to cast their vote. #TXdecides pic.twitter.com/sOWr9alVKG
— Texas Tech Public Media (@ttupublicmedia) October 13, 2020
Abilene
Long lines in @CityOfAbilene. Arrived at 7:55 and not close at all to voting #HD71 #txlege pic.twitter.com/8PnEwtvPTo
— Robyn Wertheim (@robynwertheim) October 13, 2020
Pflugerville
Voting in pflugerville is on fire! Well not literally on fire but you know what I mean #gotv2020 #heartfull #texasvotes pic.twitter.com/PnHCMORVyG
— Celia Israel (@CeliaIsrael) October 13, 2020
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