Voter Guide 2024 | What Bexar County voters should know for Election Day
The road continues to November, with national and state races to prepare for. Here's what you should know.
Adobe
Another presidential election year has arrived, and KENS 5 is here to make sure you're equipped with everything you need before heading to the polls.
We're less than 50 days out from the November election, with Kamala Harris and Donald Trump headlining the presidential contest. But Texas voters will also decide on a Senate seat as well as several other state contests.
When polls close on election day at 7 p.m., all results will be posted at KENS5.com/elections. We're here to make sure you have everything you need to be ready.
We're presenting this voter guide in chronological order of the process. The topics include:
- How to register to vote.
- Key dates for the election.
- How to cast your vote in the election.
- Learning about candidates.
- Tracking elections results.
How to register to vote
The deadline to register to vote is 30 days prior to the election in which you wish to vote. If you don't know whether you're registered to vote, you can check here.
Key election dates
Here are the dates you'll need to know in order to navigate the election process in Texas:
General Election:
- Monday, Oct. 7: Last day to register to vote
- Monday, Oct. 21: Early voting opens in Bexar County
- Friday, Oct. 25: Last day to apply to vote by mail
- Friday, Nov. 1: Early voting closes in Bexar County
- Tuesday, Nov. 5: Election Day
How to cast your vote
Early voting
Early voting in Bexar County for the general election is open from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1 to allow community members the opportunity to cast their ballots ahead of election day.
Polling hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day and voters will need to bring one of the forms of ID listed in the section below. This guide will be updated with a list of early voting sites closer to Oct. 21.
On Nov. 5
The polls in Bexar County will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for Election Day on Nov. 5. Those who are in line when polls close will have a chance to fill out and cast their ballot.
A complete list of voting locations can be found here when it has been released by Bexar County. We will share a link to the ballot here closer to voting.
Remember: Just because you're registered doesn't mean you won't need to be ready at the polls. Make sure to have at least one of the following types of ID:
- Texas driver's license
- Texas election ID certificate
- Personal Texas ID card
- Texas handgun license
- U.S. citizenship certificate with photo
- U.S. military ID
- U.S. passport (book or card)
For those who don't have and can't reasonably obtain one of those kinds of identification ahead of election day, click here to find out your options. Curbside voting is also available at most locations during the early voting period and on election day; just make sure to call your polling place ahead of time.
Mail-in voting
Texans are allowed to vote by mail but must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- If you're 65 years of age or older on election day.
- If you're sick or disabled (here that means having a sickness or physical condition preventing you from appearing at the polls on election day without a likelihood of needing personal assistance or of injuring your health).
- If you're going to be out of the county on election day or during the early-voting period.
- If you're expected to give birth within three weeks before or after election day.
- If you're confined in jail, but are eligible to vote.
Those eligible must fill out this absentee-ballot application and submit it to the Bexar County Elections Office to be able to submit a mail-in ballot for the election. It must be completed and received at the elections office at least 11 days before the election.
Voter ID
You don't want to get to a polling location and not be ready. There are certain types of ID you need to show before you cast your ballot.
Here's a list that shows you all of the acceptable ID forms.
Is my voter registration information public?
Voter privacy rules vary by state. In Texas, if you are registered to vote, your name, address, precinct you live in and registration number is public record. But your birthday or social security number is kept confidential. The Texas secretary of state allows certain individuals to keep their information confidential, including law enforcement, judges and some crime victims.
What's on the ballot?
This section will be updated with everyone voters can expect to find on their ballot closer to the start of early voting.
Tracking election results
KENS5.com will have live updates of all results in the Bexar County and Texas elections. All results will be posted at KENS5.com/elections.