The Bexar County Elections Department has processed a new backlog of thousands of voter registration applications in time for its February deadline, officials said Tuesday.
When the Current reported on the backlog last week, it stood at almost 7,000 as the Feb. 17 start of early voting for the March 3 primary quickly approached.
Last Tuesday, Elections Administrator Michele Carew said the county was hiring at least a dozen additional temporary workers to aid in processing the mound of data. Now, officials report the backlog has been cleared.
“With additional staff brought on, putting in long and hard hours of work, we were able to eliminate the recent backlog well in time for the start of early voting,” Carew said in an emailed statement.
Last fall, the county had just weeks to process a voter registration backlog of approximately 75,000, elections officials reported the time. Staff cleared that backlog just days before the November election.
County elections officials attribute the recurring backlogs to the State of Texas’ TEAM voter-registration system, which has slowed input times and created other hurdles for Bexar staff as they process voter registrations.
Those who haven’t registered to vote still have time to do so before the Feb. 2 deadline to participate in the upcoming primary.
“If any resident has a question, I ask that they call my office right away,” Carew said. “I want to reassure our community that we’re going through our final checklists, and I am confident that we are going to have a smoothly run election.”
County Judge Peter Sakai, who has overseen the process, echoed Carew’s sentiments a statement.
“I have been working closely with Michele and her staff in providing any resources needed to address the backlog,” Sakai said. “I am committed to a safe, efficient and reliable voting process that includes ensuring voters receive accurate and timely information.”
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