SAN ANTONIO – As the general election nears amid the coronavirus pandemic, more attention has been drawn to the security of mail-in ballots in Texas.
In Bexar County, voters who applied for a mail-in ballot or have already mailed their ballot will now be able to track it.
Bexar County Elections Department Administrator Jacque Callanen announced that the tracker is live during a news conference on Thursday.
To check on the status, voters will need to enter their last name and birthday, along with their driver’s license number or the last four digits of their social security number.
Callanen said voting by mail is very secure in Bexar County.
“I feel very comfortable and confident with the procedure we have,” Callanen said. “There are so many checks and balances just in something as simple as pulling the ballot out of the envelope.”
As of Thursday, Bexar County has more than 1,165,000 registered voters. That total is expected to grow in the coming days before the registration deadline on Oct. 5.
Callanen said Thursday that her office has received roughly 88,000 mail ballot applications. More than 60,000 ballots have been mailed out to those applicants, while the office continues to work on sending the remaining ballots.
You may be eligible to vote by mail if you are:
- Going to be away from your county on Election Day and during early voting
- Out-of-state college students who still claim a Texas address as their primary residence
- Sick or disabled
- 65 years of age or older on Election Day
- Confined in jail, but eligible to vote
The deadline to submit a mail ballot application is Oct. 23.
Those who are still uncomfortable about mailing their absentee ballot can also drop their marked mail ballot in person at the elections office at 1103 S. Frio St.