October 22, 2018 News » San Antonio News

        
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Rep. Castro and State Sen. Menéndez Say Bexar County Must Improve Voting Processes

By Sanford Nowlin

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro and State Sen. Jose Menéndez speak about voting glitches in Bexar County. - VIA JOAQUIN CASTRO'S FACEBOOK PAGE

Via Joaquin Castro's Facebook page
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro and State Sen. Jose Menéndez speak about voting glitches in Bexar County.

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro and state Sen. Jose Menéndez are demanding Bexar County fix problems that plagued some polling places on the first day of early voting.

In front of a West Side polling place, the Democratic lawmakers said they were alarmed by a lack of staff to handle lines at the site and a computer glitch that forced some residents to leave before casting ballots. Both said they'd received complaints about other county polling locations.

"I think we're both worried for the people, whether their votes will count, whether they'll get discouraged," Castro said, adding that the county also should replace outdated voting machines that don't keep paper records.

With higher-than-usual turn-out expected for the November 6 midterms, Bexar officials should have deployed more election personnel, he added.

"It wasn't any secret that we'd need to staff up. I don't know why that didn't happen."

Castro said he asked County Judge Nelson Wolff to improve processes for the remainder of early voting, which ends November 2. Menéndez sought similar assurances from Elections Administrator Jacquelyne Callanen. Both said they received assurances the county will step up its game.

"We don't think this is malicious," Menéndez said. "We want to make a change, and we want to help."

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Tags: Voting, Joaquin Castro, Jose Menéndez, glitches, lines, Bexar County, polling places, Nelson Wolff, Jacquelyne Callanen, West Side, voting machines

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