Michele Carew, the newly appointed Bexar County Elections Administrator, shared her vision and preparations for the upcoming elections in an interview.

The Bexar County Election Commission has announced Michele Carew as its new Bexar County Election Administrator, according to a press release.

A key position within Bexar County’s Elections Department is coming open just months before the 2024 general election.

You can expect to see many more voters heading to the polls in Bexar County on Election Day this year than in past years.

The voter registration deadline for the Nov. 8 general election is just three weeks away, on Oct. 11. Are you ready to cast your ballot?

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.

Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacquelyn Callanen is reminding Bexar County residents to register to vote ahead of November’s election if they haven’t already done so.

With the midterm elections roughly two months away, Bexar County commissioners want the elections department to provide dozens more Election Day polling locations.

For the May 7 election, every mail ballot is sent out with an informational insert reminding the voter about a new, ID number requirement that tripped up many people in the March 1 Primary elections.

At least 1,929 Bexar County voters who cast a ballot in the Mar. 1 primary did not have their vote counted, largely due to a requirement under a new, controversial voting law.

On Tuesday, a lawsuit was filed against county election offices across the state, including Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacquelyn Callanen.

SAN ANTONIO – Deaf voters in Bexar County can only get interpreter assistance at two polling locations, despite disability advocates saying voters should have the ability to get help at the location of their choice. Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacquelyn Callanen said ASL interpreter assistance is available at the Bexar County Elections Department on Frio Street through a video remote interpreter (VRI) service, and a live interpreter is available at the San Antonio College Victory Center. Disability advocates, though, say deaf voters who need assistance should not be limited to fewer sites than other voters. Davis said she didn’t know enough about any requests for assistance and associated denials in Bexar County to be able to say if county election officials were breaking the law. Those seeking assistance, she said, have been told they need to go to the Bexar County Elections Department.

SAN ANTONIO – The COVID-19 pandemic has made voting a more stressful endeavor than in years past as voters try to keep themselves and others safe at the polls. Election officials cannot screen voters or keep those with symptoms from voting in-person, according to a Jun. Please thank the election officials when you go vote and... Posted by Bexar County Elections Department on Thursday, 15 October 2020So, what’s the alternative? Elections officials are not able to require voters to wear masks at the polls either, though Callanen asked voters to do so. “Please keep those election officials safe.”Related: Analysis: It’s harder to vote in Texas than in any other state

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. “We’re averaging about 500 a day that people were coming in when they delivered their ballot here,” Callanen said. The voter themselves must deliver the ballot, present their photo identification and sign the ballot if they’re delivering it to the Bexar County Elections Department in person.

SAN ANTONIO – UPDATE: The Bexar County Elections Office reported 33,111 voters cast their ballot on the first day of early voting on Tuesday compared to 34,020 who voted on the first day of early voting in 2018. (Original Story)A huge turnout on the first day of early voting led to Bexar County voters having to wait several hours to cast their ballots at some of the county’s 48 early voting locations. Lines of voters wrapped around buildings early on in the day at numerous sites, even those who showed up early were not guaranteed a quick ballot when voting began at 8 a.m. Tuesday morning. Voters are able to cast ballots at any of the early voting locations. You can find more information on where and how to vote early here.

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. “That’s like having the population of Comal County be here in Bexar County over those four years,” Callanen said.

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. “That’s like having the population of Comal County be here in Bexar County over those four years,” Callanen said. Mail-in ballot applications will be accepted until 11 days before Election Day, as per state law.

It’s not too late to register and be included in a historic period in Texas voter registration. Texas has added more than 1.5 million voters since 2016, according to the Houston Chronicle, with more than 16.6 million total voters registered. 2) You can also register in person at your county voter registration office. If you are registered, but you’ve lost your voter registration card, you can notify your county voter registrar in writing to get a new one. You won’t need your voter registration card when you vote, but you will need a valid form of identification to vote in Texas.

SAN ANTONIO – With the presidential election just 42 days away, Bexar County residents are registering to vote in record numbers, according to Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacquelyn Callanen. “That’s like the population of Comal County.”Statewide registration numbers are approaching 17 million voters, Callanen said. She said there’s still time to change your address for a new voter registration card. “They can go on Texas-on-line and you can change your address basically on the Secretary of State’s website,” Callanen said. League of Women Voters holds voter registration event at The PearlAlso on KSAT.com:

Bexar County setting records on National Voter Registration DayPublished: October 5, 2020, 9:48 amWith the presidential election just 42 days away, Bexar County residents are registering to vote in record numbers, according to Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacquelyn Callanen.

SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County Elections Department Administrator Jacquelyn Callanen was excited about the increase in voter registrations while giving the latest numbers during a news conference on Monday. Since 2016, Bexar County has registered 112,951 new voters as of Monday, Callanen said. In total, 1,162,040 voters are currently registered in Bexar County. “That’s like having the population of Comal County be here in Bexar County over those four years,” Callanen said. “San Antonio is growing by leaps and bounds.”Callanen hoped that the total number of registered voters would swell to 1.75 million by the registration deadline on Oct. 5.

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.

SAN ANTONIO – 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 Tuesday’s 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.