SAN ANTONIO – You still have time to vote early and beat Election Day lines. There is a lot on the ballot depending where you live, ranging from mayor to school bonds to several propositions.
Early voting is open until 8 p.m. Monday, and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Election Day is Saturday, May 6.
“I’ve been all excited to come and vote. As you can see, I got my voting button here and I got my little patch there that they gave me,” Ruben Garcia, a voter said.
Garcia was one of the first voters at Lion’s Field – one of the thousands of San Antonians who have already voted.
“Through the beginning of today we have had 57,000 people vote in-person. And of course, today or today and tomorrow, the last two days, they’re historically the last busiest days when people sort of rush to the polls,” Jacque Callanen, Bexar County elections administrator said.
Right now, numbers are on track with 2021 voting, the last municipal election. Callenen said they were prepared for more people because of what is on the ballot and because of the increase in registered voters.
“That’s an increase of a little over 9 percent. So when you plan elections, when you look at it, you do your numbers and your algorithms. We plan for another 10% boost and we’re not seeing that yet. So we’ll see. Maybe Election Day will be a big day for us,” Callanen said.
And as election officials finish out the last two days of early voting and get ready for election day, there is more training to be done. Judges really do put their lives on hold.
“We always do reviews because, again, they haven’t done this for four or five, six months. And so everybody needs a refresher,” Callanen said.
As for Garcia, he has a message out there for anyone who hasn’t voted yet.
“The polls are open everywhere. It’s time to get out and have a have a voice. And use your voice. Use your voting power,” Garcia said.