Elections

Bexar County elections services cover voter registration, registration changes, early voting, voting by mail, precinct information, election information, and poll worker participation. The Bexar County Elections Department is the main county office for these services. This article explains how residents can use the official election systems, what information is required for common voting tasks, which deadlines apply, and which mistakes can delay a registration application or cause problems with a ballot by mail.

Bexar County Elections Department

The Bexar County Elections official website is the primary county source for election and voter information. The site provides access to voter registration services, election notices and information, early voting details, voting-by-mail instructions, precinct information, poll worker information, and public election updates.

The Elections Department also posts time-sensitive notices on its homepage. These notices can be especially relevant before an election because procedures, polling information, mail-ballot reminders, and voter registration issues may require attention. The official site currently includes information associated with the November 3 election and provides election-specific materials as they become available.

Residents should distinguish between the Elections Department's different services. Voter registration determines whether a person is registered and which county maintains that registration. Election information covers materials connected with a particular election. Early voting concerns voting before Election Day, either in person or, for eligible voters, by mail. Precinct tools help residents determine their precinct and related elected offices. These services are connected, but they do not serve the same purpose.

Voter Registration Requirements

Texas law requires a voter to be registered at least 30 days before the election in which the person wants to vote. Bexar County residents can review the county's official voter eligibility information before submitting a registration application.

To be eligible to register as a Bexar County voter, a person must meet the requirements published by the Elections Department:

Register in the county where the person resides.

Be a citizen of the United States.

Be at least 17 years and 10 months old when registering and be at least 18 years old by Election Day.

Not be finally convicted of a felony, unless all punishment has been completed, including incarceration, parole, supervision, and probation, or the person has received a pardon.

Not have been determined by a final judgment of a probate court to be mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.

A registration does not become effective immediately after the application is received. According to the county, registration becomes effective 30 days after receipt or on the voter's 18th birthday, whichever is later. A person who moves to another county must register again in the new county rather than relying on the previous county registration.

Identification on Registration Forms

A Texas voter registration application requires identifying information. The Elections Department states that applicants must provide a Texas driver's license number or a personal identification number issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety. An applicant who does not have either number may provide the last four digits of a Social Security number. A person who does not have a Social Security number must state that fact on the application.

Completing this section accurately is important because election records rely on the information submitted by the voter. Applicants should complete the form fully and legibly rather than leaving required fields incomplete.

Registering and Updating Records

The county's registration and registration changes page explains the available methods for submitting or updating voter information. A Bexar County voter registration application must be completed and returned to the Voter Registration Office at least 30 days before the election date.

Residents can first use the county's online Voter Registration Check to determine whether they are already registered. This can prevent an unnecessary duplicate application and can also help a voter confirm existing registration information before an election.

Submitting a New Application

A voter registration application can be prepared through the process linked by the Elections Department. The voter enters information through the Secretary of State system, which loads the information into a form. The form must then be printed, signed, and mailed.

A resident may also request an application from the Voter Registration Office. Applications are additionally available at locations such as libraries, government offices, and high schools. Regardless of where the application is obtained, the county instructions require it to be completed, signed, and returned as directed.

Driver License Registration Option

A person who is not already registered and who has an existing Texas driver's license or state identification card may have another registration opportunity when using the Texas Department of Public Safety system. According to the county, the option can be presented when renewing or replacing one of those cards or when changing contact information associated with the card.

Name and Address Changes

Voters who continue to live in Texas can submit certain name or address changes online through the process referenced by the Elections Department. A voter who moves to another state must register in the new state.

County changes require special attention when moving. The Elections Department specifically states that a person who moves to another county must re-register in the county of the new residence. Updating an address is therefore different from simply confirming that an old Bexar County registration still appears in a search.

Registration Status and Cards

The Elections Department periodically publishes notices about registration records and voter registration cards. The official site has reported an issue involving some voter registration cards with truncated last names and stated that corrected cards would be issued to affected voters.

The county has also explained that a voter registration marked as “suspense” generally means the voter's address may need to be updated or confirmed. A suspense designation does not, by itself, mean the person cannot vote. Residents who see that status should use the official Elections Department information to address the underlying registration record.

Voters who remain at the address where they are registered automatically receive a new voter registration certificate every two years, according to the county's voter information.

Election Information and Ballots

Information tied to a specific election is published through the county's Election Information page. Election materials can differ from one election to another, so voters should use the information for the election in which they intend to participate rather than relying on details remembered from a previous election.

The Elections Department's election services include election notices, sample ballots, polling information, and other election-specific materials. Polling locations can change between elections. The county therefore directs voters to election-specific information as locations and other details become available.

This distinction matters particularly for voters who have participated at the same location in previous years. A previous voting location should not be treated as confirmation of the correct location for the current election.

Early Voting in Person

Bexar County's early voting information describes two methods of voting early in Texas: voting in person and voting by mail for voters who qualify for a mail ballot.

Early voting generally begins 17 days before an election and ends four days before the election. If the 17th day before Election Day falls on a weekend, early voting begins on the following Monday.

All registered voters may vote early in person at a convenient vote center. A voter does not need to provide a special reason for choosing early in-person voting. Because polling locations may differ by election, the Elections Department posts locations through the election information system as those details become available.

Curbside Voting

Curbside voting is available to a voter who is physically unable to enter a polling place without personal assistance or without a likelihood of injuring the voter's health. The Elections Department states that all Bexar County vote centers provide curbside voting.

At a vote center, the voter can look for the designated curbside parking sign. The sign provides a number to call so election workers can be notified that a voter is present for curbside voting.

Eligibility to Vote by Mail

Voting early by mail is limited to voters who qualify under specified circumstances. The county's official vote-by-mail instructions state that a registered voter may qualify when one of the following applies:

The voter will be 65 years of age or older on Election Day.
The voter is sick or disabled under the applicable Texas election requirements.
The voter expects to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day.
The voter will be outside the county on Election Day and during early voting hours.
The voter is confined in jail or involuntarily civilly committed but remains eligible to vote.

Voters who are outside the county or who are confined in jail or civilly committed may apply only for one election and its resulting runoff under the rules described by the Elections Department. Military and overseas voters use a different process involving the Federal Postcard Application rather than the standard Application for a Ballot by Mail.

Requesting a Mail Ballot

The county does not automatically send an Application for a Ballot by Mail, commonly called an ABBM, to eligible voters. A voter must request or obtain the application and submit it.

The application must be returned no later than 11 days before the election for which the ballot is requested. An ABBM submitted to the Elections Department must contain an original handwritten signature. Electronic signatures are not accepted for this application.

A qualified voter may submit an annual ABBM beginning January 1 of the calendar year in which ballots are requested. An annual application remains valid until the end of that calendar year or until the voter submits a change to registration information. Annual applications expire on December 31.

If an annual application applies and the voter remains qualified, the voter can receive ballots for elections for which the voter is eligible during that year, including applicable runoffs.

Mail Ballot Identification Rules

Identification information is one of the most important parts of the mail-ballot process. The Elections Department states that voters must provide required identifying numbers on both the mail-ballot application and the ballot carrier envelope.

The county's instructions identify the Texas driver's license number, Texas personal identification number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number as identification that may be used under the mail-ballot requirements described by the department. The identifying information used must match information associated with the voter's registration record.

The Elections Department has also published a warning concerning some Texas Ballot by Mail applications that contain only four spaces in the identification-number section even though eight digits are required. The department directs affected voters to use the correct application before submitting it.

Primary Party Selection

A voter requesting a mail ballot for a primary election must indicate a party preference on the application so the Elections Department can send the correct primary ballot. The county states that this selection applies to the primary and primary runoff for that calendar year and does not affect other elections.

On the ABBM, the party selection is made in Section 4 under the Primary Election section. Leaving that information incomplete when requesting a primary ballot can prevent the Elections Department from knowing which ballot style to send.

Completing the Mail Ballot

After receiving and voting a mail ballot, the voter places the ballot in the white secrecy envelope and then puts that envelope into the return ballot carrier envelope. Before sealing the carrier envelope, required identification information must be entered under the security flap.

The voter should then seal the carrier envelope and sign it as directed. The Elections Department specifically instructs voters to seal the envelope first and then sign over the flap so the complete signature remains visible. Signing first and then folding the flap over the signature is identified as a mistake to avoid.

Assistance and Witness Sections

If another person assisted the voter, the assistant must complete the applicable section of the carrier envelope. The county instructions call for the assistant's printed name, signature, address, and relationship.

If a witness is required and participates in the process, the witness section must also be completed with the information required on the envelope, including the witness's printed name, signature, address, and relationship.

Mail Ballot Return Deadlines

Mail ballots are subject to strict return timing. The Elections Department states that domestic ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day, or by 5 p.m. on the next business day when the ballot was postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

The county also advises residents to pay attention to changes in how the United States Postal Service applies postmarks to deadline-sensitive mail. Because the ballot must satisfy applicable postmark and receipt requirements, sending a ballot near the deadline creates a different risk than simply completing it by Election Day.

For a ballot mailed from outside the United States, the vote-by-mail information states that the ballot must be delivered to the Elections Department no later than five days after Election Day.

Correcting Mail Ballot Problems

The county's mail-voting instructions describe procedures that may allow certain ballot carrier-envelope problems to be corrected. A voter may have an opportunity to correct an issue within six days after Election Day. A voter who learns of a problem by Election Day may also have the option described by the county of voting in person instead of by mail before the polls close.

Providing a phone number or email address on mail-ballot materials can help election officials contact a voter about a problem. If identifying information is missing or does not match and election officials cannot resolve the issue, the application or ballot may be rejected.

Common preventable problems include omitting an identification number, using information that does not match the registration record, forgetting the application signature, failing to complete an assistant or witness section when applicable, incorrectly positioning the carrier-envelope signature, or mailing a ballot too late to meet the required deadline.

Precinct and Representation Information

The Bexar County voter precinct page provides access to precinct listings, a Precinct Finder, and precinct maps. These tools are useful when a voter needs to determine the precinct associated with the voter's residence or review precinct information connected with elected offices.

The county also provides information about local and state offices associated with precinct listings. Because school districts and incorporated cities within or overlapping Bexar County may have their own geographic boundaries, voters should use the precinct tools rather than assuming that a mailing address, city name, or school district alone determines every election district.

Working at Vote Centers

Residents interested in election work can review the county's poll worker requirements. The Elections Department identifies four poll worker roles: Presiding Judge, Alternate Judge, Clerk, and Student Clerk.

At a minimum, poll workers must be registered voters in the county and must complete required training. Student Clerks are ages 16 to 17 and use an application or permission-slip process described by the department.

Presiding and Alternate Judges

A Presiding Election Judge administers the election in accordance with the Texas Election Code. The county lists pay of $18 per hour while the polls are open, plus $25 for bringing returns to a designated Regional Sending Site. A Presiding Judge must be a registered voter in the precinct in which the person serves, attend certification training, and pass the required test with a score of at least 70 percent. Certification is maintained by passing a test every two years.

The Elections Department lists restrictions that can prevent a person from serving as a Presiding Judge in a particular election. These include holding an elected office, being a candidate in that election, serving as a campaign treasurer or campaign manager for a candidate in that election, or being an employee or relative of an opposed candidate.

An Alternate Election Judge serves in support of the election and can step in when the Presiding Election Judge is unavailable. The county lists pay of $17 per hour while polls are open and describes training and certification requirements similar to those for the Presiding Judge.

Election Clerks

Election Clerks receive training and assignments from the Election Judge. The county lists pay of $16 per hour while polls are open. Clerks must be registered Bexar County voters. Certification classes are encouraged but are not listed as mandatory for this role in the provided county information.

Clerks are hired by Presiding Judges. The Elections Department may connect available applicants with judges who need additional workers, but submitting a clerk application does not guarantee an assignment for a particular election.

Common Election Service Mistakes

Many election-related problems arise from using the right service at the wrong time or treating separate processes as interchangeable. A voter can reduce avoidable problems by paying close attention to the specific task being completed.

Waiting past the registration deadline: Registration must be completed in time to satisfy the 30-day requirement before the election.

Assuming an old registration follows a move: A voter who moves to another county must re-register in the new county.

Submitting an unsigned application: Registration and mail-ballot forms requiring signatures should not be mailed without the required signature.

Using an incomplete mail-ballot application: The ABBM requires the applicable eligibility reason, identification information, and other required entries.

Omitting a primary party choice: A mail voter requesting a primary ballot must select a party so the correct ballot can be provided.

Using mismatched ID information: Identification information on the ABBM and ballot carrier envelope must satisfy the county's matching requirements.

Assuming polling places never change: Vote centers and election-specific locations should be verified for the current election.

Mailing a ballot at the last moment: Mail ballots are governed by both postmark and receipt deadlines.

Signing the carrier envelope incorrectly: The county directs voters to seal the envelope and then sign over the flap so the signature remains fully visible.

The most reliable approach is to separate registration, election information, early voting, and vote-by-mail tasks and complete each through the applicable official Elections Department process. This is particularly useful when an election is approaching and deadlines for registration, mail-ballot applications, early voting, and returned ballots are different.

Elections Offices

Elections Department

1103 S. Frio Suite 100
San Antonio, TX 78207
210-335-VOTE (8683)

Voter Registration Office

1103 S. Frio Suite 100
San Antonio, TX 78207
210-335-6625

Elections FAQs

Where can I find Bexar County campaign expenditure reports?

Bexar County Elections provides an official Candidate Information section with links for expenditure reports and current office holders. This is the appropriate starting point when looking for county election-related candidate filings or confirming who currently holds an office. Use the Bexar County Elections Candidate Information page rather than relying on campaign websites or unofficial election directories, since the county page directs users to records maintained or published through government election services.

How do I find out who currently represents my area?

The Elections Department maintains information about elected officials serving Bexar County and the City of San Antonio. The official Local Offices page organizes information for county officials, courts, justices of the peace, constables, San Antonio offices, and municipalities. The county also directs residents to its “Who Represents Me?” search when they need officials associated with their particular precinct rather than a general list of officeholders.

Where are official election media releases posted?

Election-related media materials are published through the Bexar County Elections Public Info & Media page. The department uses this section for official media releases, election-related video material, department interviews, and information concerning its election-night reporting system. This can be useful when verifying an announcement attributed to the Elections Department or locating an official release connected with election administration.

Can I request public election records from Bexar County?

Yes. The official Elections website includes Public Records Request and GovQA options under its Public Information resources. Residents looking for records maintained by the Elections Department should begin at the Bexar County Elections official website and use the public-information links provided there. This keeps the request within the county's designated records process and helps distinguish a formal records request from general voter or election questions.