{"id":469999,"date":"2026-10-18T21:36:43","date_gmt":"2026-10-18T21:36:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/469999\/"},"modified":"2026-10-18T21:36:43","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T21:36:43","slug":"bexar-county-has-backlog-of-13000-voter-registrations-to-process-before-mondays-start-of-early-voting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/469999\/","title":{"rendered":"Bexar County has backlog of 13,000 voter registrations to process before Monday’s start of early voting"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Bexar County Elections has 13,000 voter registrations to process before Monday\u2019s start of early voting. Credit: Stephanie Koithan<\/p>\n

The Bexar County Elections Department must process 13,000 voter registrations over the weekend if they\u2019re all to be complete by Monday\u2019s start of early voting, Elections Administrator Michele Carew said Friday.<\/p>\n

At an afternoon press conference, Carew said she remains confident that Elections Department employees will be able to process the backlog in time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are still working through all of our applications,\u201d Carew said. \u201cOur goal is to have them ready by Monday, but there may be some that we\u2019re still working on when early voting begins.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carew said that in addition to the 10,000 hand-delivered applications the county was still working through, it received an additional 3,000 Thursday night from the Texas Secretary of State\u2019s Office through Texas Online, an app that lets voters update their addresses.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are working around the clock to work on the backlog that we received last night as well as the hand-delivered and mailed-in voter registration applications and applications for vote by mail,\u201d Carew said.<\/p>\n

To that end, the Elections Department added as many as 60 temporary staffers, who are working in shifts. The temp workers were first hired on in early September to help process the backlog created by a delay with the Department of Public Safety, which is responsible for a statewide backlog of at least 200,000 unprocessed voter registrations<\/a> dating back a year.<\/p>\n

Carew said that voters should show up and vote regardless of how their voter status appears online<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also want voters to know that no voters will be turned away at the polling locations,\u201d Carew said.<\/p>\n

Bexar County voters who find themselves on the state\u2019s Suspense List won\u2019t be limited as to where or when they can vote within the County, Carew confirmed. Voters \u2014 including those in Suspense \u2014 should bring valid ID, such as a Texas Driver License, State Identification Card or Texas Election Registration Certificate and, if needed, update their address with a poll worker.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not questioning whether you\u2019re eligible to vote in this election, we\u2019re just needing to verify your address,\u201d Carew said.<\/p>\n

\"\"Elections Administrator Michele Carew urges voters to show up at the polls, even if they are on the state\u2019s suspense list or unsure of their voter registration status. Credit: Stephanie Koithan<\/p>\n

Due to the high volume of registrations the Elections Department needed to process, the office was temporarily closed Thursday and Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur highest priority is the accuracy, security and integrity of every step of the election process,\u201d Carew added. <\/p>\n

Carew assured the press that the department is \u201cready to go\u201d for Monday and that voting machines have been delivered and tested.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want the community to know that the election is working exactly as it should,\u201d Carew said. \u201cRegardless of the delays we\u2019ve had and the difficulties we\u2019ve had over the past few weeks, my team has been preparing since June for this election.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Voting machines wait in a large warehouse to be distributed to polling sites throughout the county. Credit: Stephanie Koithan<\/p>\n

During the March primary, some voters waited in line for up to three hours after polling sites closed, in turn, delaying the announcement of election results.<\/p>\n

Carew said the county has added polling locations and stations to reduce lines, bottlenecks and wait times ahead of the Midterm elections. She added that her department has also updated its tabulation system to produce election results faster \u201cas long as there aren\u2019t long lines still inside the polling site.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carew assured reporters that her staff has been preparing for the midterms \u2014 for which she expects high turnout \u2014 \u201cas if it\u2019s a presidential election.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked by a reporter, Carew also insisted that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers won\u2019t be allowed inside polling locations.<\/p>\n

Polls for early voting open at 8 a.m. Monday, Oct. 19.<\/p>\n

A list of early voting locations and hours of operation can be found on the Bexar County Elections website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here is a list of the acceptable forms of photo ID for voting in Texas:<\/p>\n

Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)<\/p>\n

Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS<\/p>\n

Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS<\/p>\n

Texas Handgun License issued by DPS<\/p>\n

United States Military Identification Card containing the person\u2019s photograph<\/p>\n

United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person\u2019s photograph<\/p>\n

United States Passport (book or card)<\/p>\n

Texas politics is a mess. We make it a readable mess.<\/p>\n

Sign up for San Antonio Current\u2019s new \u201cTexas Politics This Week\u201d newsletter.<\/p>\n

Sign Up for SA Current newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n

Follow us:\u00a0Apple News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>| Twitter<\/a>\u00a0| Or sign up for our\u00a0RSS Feed<\/a><\/p>\n

Related Stories<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Despite\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u2018Funding drug interdiction alone is a misguided approach,\u2019 one state senator said. \u2018The state must also address the ongoing problem of addiction in our prison system through treatment and rehabilitation, in addition to prevention.\u2019\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Everyone\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tParticipants sampled hundreds of craft and premium beers along other beverages from breweries around the world.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Bo\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tControversial remarks by the GOP candidate cast a national spotlight on the typically quiet race for a spot on the Texas Railroad Commission.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t