BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – While the time for casting ballots in the 2024 Presidential election has passed, Bexar County voters are still weighing in with opinions on the results.
Former President Donald Trump beat Vice President Kamala Harris in the battle for the highest position in the U. S. government’s executive branch.
To some people who closely followed the highly contested race, the outcome is welcomed news, while to others, it is devastating.
“We’re in bad trouble now with Mr. Trump. We are in bad trouble,” said Manny Vicente. “Minorities and senior citizens are going to feel the brunt of the change.”
Vicente said he had hoped Harris would win instead.
Davita Heard-Melvin, meanwhile, said she wasn’t getting her hopes up about the election.
She took the news of the former president’s win in stride.
“It’s kind of what I expected,” Heard-Melvin said. “I hoped for something different, but it’s really what I expected.”
Instead of fretting, Heard-Melvin said she plans to go on with life as usual, going to work and focusing on herself a bit more.
Mike Shannon doesn’t expect the election results to have much of an impact on his life either.
He lives in Canada but has been watching the race closely.
“We got in from El Paso last night, about 2:30 in the morning, and turned on the TV and (Trump had) won. We’re so stoked,” Shannon said.
As a follower of American politics, Shannon said he believes Trump’s return to the White House will be a good thing for the country.
“He’s going to turn everything around, like closing the borders, just getting more jobs,” he said.
While Tyrone Austin shares his hope for the country’s future, he doesn’t share his taste in candidates.
“The person that I voted for didn’t win. However, I am an American, so I got a new president,” Austin said. “Hopefully, he can bring about some positive change.”
Lawrence Armstrong also chooses to think positively, taking comfort in the fact that the election was peaceful.
“Regardless of who won, yeah, you’ve got to have that hope,” Armstong said, “that’s it’s going to be better. I’m positive that it will.”
The election itself was a big success, according to Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacquelyn Callanen.
Callanen held a news conference Wednesday morning to discuss voter turnout and other aspects of the election season.
Callanen said the 58.7 percent turnout was not record-breaking but still impressive.
On election day alone, Callanen says 150,000 voters cast ballots.
“Congratulations to my fantastic staff and to our election officials,” Callanen said. “A day that we will be proud of.”