BEXAR COUNTY, Texas — Speaking with local reporters shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday, Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen said Bexar County was poised to blow past its 2018 Election Day turnout while falling short of the percentage of registered voters who submitted a ballot.
It's due in part, she says, to the huge growth the San Antonio region has seen in recent years.
"Our main goal is to get the (polling) sites closed, to get everybody in with their results," Callanen said about three after polls closed, adding that UTSA still had at least dozens waiting in line.
It took two and a half hours for Election Day votes to start being reported in Bexar County, a delay Callanen attributed to the size of the ballot this year. But by 9:30 p.m. several major races were all but over, including Peter Sakai's victory in the campaign for Bexar County judge.
Callanen around 10 p.m. said Bexar County was on track to see 151,000 in-person voters on Election Day, far more than 131,705 who turned out in the 2018 midterm election. But it represents about 44% of registered voters, compared to just under 50% of the electorate who voted in 2018.
Minor hiccups
At least four north-side election sites recovered power after brief CPS Energy outages Tuesday afternoon, according to utility officials who say the cause is still being investigated.
Jacque Callanen, head of elections in Bexar County, said during a 4:30 p.m. update that battery backups were being used to help provide power for the affected locations, including Hidden Forest Elementary, Hill Country Village City Hall, Hartman Center II and Huebner Elementary.
Callanen emphasized at the time that there are nearly 300 other polling sites around the country where residents can head to.
On the homestretch
The elections department said on Facebook that more than 111,000 Bexar County residents had made it out to the polls on Election Today as of 4:45 p.m. At Callanen’s afternoon update, she expressed confidence that final turnout would at least meet 2018 levels.
“It’s been a good day, but right now we’re scrambling,” she said as she and her team entered the Election Day homestretch.
When polls close, all results will be posted at KENS5.com/elections. We're here to make sure you have everything you need to be ready.
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