Helpful Tips For Voting
● Where’s the shortest line? Check the Bexar Elections web site to find the shortest line near you. These are estimates. Wait lines may be longer than the 45 minutes shown. https://maps.bexar.org/ElectionWaitTimes/ Remember, you can vote at any polling location in Bexar County.
● What happens if:
o My registration shows that I’m on suspense? You will be asked to fill out a simple form to confirm your residence address in Bexar County. Then you can vote a regular ballot.
o They can’t find my registration even though I’ve been registered for years? The staff will check with Bexar Elections. If they still can’t find you in the system, you will vote a provisional ballot, and they will attempt to locate your registration after Election Day. You will be notified by mail whether your provisional ballot was counted.
o They can’t find my registration even though my application was dated and submitted before the Oct 5 cutoff? If you were registered by a VDR, take your receipt with you to vote. The receipt proves you registered and gives the VDR # of the person who registered you. They will call Bexar Elections and attempt to track down your registration. If you mailed in your registration or registered through the DMV, they might not be able to find your registration without some considerable searching through records so you may have to wait a while. If they can’t find any record of a registration, you can request a provisional ballot, and they will attempt to find your registration after Election Day. You will be notified by mail whether your provisional ballot was counted.
o I received a mail in ballot but decided to vote in person? You MUST bring the mail in ballot with you to the poll to prove you didn’t already vote by mail. If you do not have the mail in ballot, you will vote a provisional ballot and be notified after the election whether your provisional ballot was counted.
o Take a written list of who you want to vote for with you to the polls. You cannot use your cell phone in the polling location.
● At the voting machine.
o Use the eraser of a pencil to be sure you touch only the candidate of your choice. Touch once then wait, it may take a second for the machine to register your choice.
o If your machine starts flashing or the screen goes dark or your choices are not highlighting, call a clerk over to assist.
o Be sure to review your choices on the screen at the end of the ballot.
o When you hit print, be patient! The ballot is long and the machine will need time to record all your choices. Hit the print button once, then wait up to a minute. If at that point you do not get the “printing” screen, call over a clerk to assist.
o Review the printout of your ballot to confirm the accuracy of your choices. If it shows something different than what you intended, report it to a poll worker and ask for another ballot.
o If the tabulator kicks out your ballot, turn it over and try feeding it in again. If the ballot is creased or the ink got smudged, the tabulator may not be able to read it. Ask a clerk for assistance. If the tabulator cannot read your ballot, you will need to vote again. The clerk will assist you in returning to the voting machine.
● Bottom line—look for the shortest line before you go, have all your IDs and pertinent documents ready, and be patient with the machine, the polling site workers, and your fellow voters.