Key congressional races and the battle for Bexar County judge are prominent motivators driving people to the polls, according to the Bexar County Democratic chair.
SAN ANTONIO — With just days to go before Primary Election Day, early voting is breaking records in Bexar County and across Texas.
According to the Bexar County Elections Department, more than 126,000 people have cast ballots in person as of Wednesday.
On Monday, the county reported more than 70,000 ballots had been cast in the first five days, nearly doubling compared to the same time during the 2022 midterm election.
At Cody Library, San Antonio native Wade Neely was in and out in about 10 minutes.
“I really believe that if you don’t vote then you don’t have a right to complain,” Neely said.
For Neely, one of the most important races on the ballot is the contest for Bexar County Judge.
“The county judge is pretty basically the one who runs the county and that’s a job with a lot of responsibility,” Neely said.
It’s a lengthy ballot this primary season, with multiple local, state and congressional races, along with numerous propositions for voters to consider.
Michelle Lowe Solis, chair of the Bexar County Democratic Party, noted enthusiasm appears high.
“In Bexar County, if you look statewide, we have very good turnout, Democratic turnout across Texas,” Lowe Solis said. “I think we’ve got last I saw, 130,000 more Democratic votes cast so far in Texas than Republican votes.”
She points to at least a couple key races as prime motivators to steer drivers to the polls.
“I think we’ve got a very competitive race for the county judge. We’ve got a competitive race for the U.S. Senate. I think that’s what’s driving interest,” Lowe Solis said.
KENS 5 also reached out to the Bexar County Republican Party for comment, but the chair was unable to commit to an interview.
The surge in Bexar County reflects a broader trend across Texas.
More than 665,000 votes were cast in-person and by mail in the Democratic primary compared to over 593,000 ballots tallied in the Republican primary, according to unofficial data from the Texas Secretary of State.
Through Monday, 665,664 votes were cast in-person and by mail in the Democratic primary, compared to 593,692 cast in the Republican primary, according to unofficial data from the Texas Secretary of State. The combined collection of votes in greater than the 2024 and 2020 primaries over seven days of early voting.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Corpus Christi on Friday just days before Primary Election Day. Lowe Solis anticipates the visit could energize Republican voters.
“I do think he’s wanting to drive some turnout, some Republican turnout here in Texas,” Lowe Solis said.
Early voting wraps up tomorrow, giving voters one last chance to avoid potential lines on Election Day.