SAN ANTONIO – This year, two major events in San Antonio — Fiesta and a civic obligation — are coinciding, which doesn’t happen too often.
Early voting ahead of the May 3 election began on Tuesday. Fiesta kicked off on Thursday.
As of Friday morning, the lines for chicken on a stick and funnel cakes may be longer than those at the polls.
“It was fast. It was easy,” said Ronnie Cook, who arrived well-prepared to cast his ballot at the Julia Yates Semmes Library. “We had already gotten the yellow paper and looked at everybody and looked them up, so we found it easy to vote.”
Admittedly, voting this time around requires San Antonians to do some homework.
On the ballot, all voters will be asked to choose from a list of 27 candidates for mayor, as well as numerous candidates in their respective city council races.
Janie Diaz said she was able to get right in and out to make her voice heard.
“There was another person in front of me,” Diaz said. “And one, two, three, four, and it’s done.”
Ian Krohn told a similar story about his time at the ballot box.
“They asked for my ID, signed my name,” Krohn said. “They gave me my ballot. Boop, boop, boop. Done and over with.”
It does not appear that all San Antonio eligible voters are as civic-minded as Diaz and Krohn.
As of Thursday evening — the third day of early voting — only 21,187 people had cast their votes.
Election records show that there are more than 1.2 million people registered to vote in Bexar County.
While local elections tend to draw smaller crowds than those involving federal offices, such as the presidential race, some said the turnout this time seems especially low.
Diaz said she expected to have more company before casting her vote.
“(People) should vote, but maybe they feel it’s not important,” Diaz said. “But yet they’re going to complain.”
Krohn believes a lack of awareness could also keep people away from the polls.
“Talking to people where I work and everything, they’re not even aware there’s an election right now,” Krohn said. “If we vote on the second Tuesday of November for federal elections, why shouldn’t we do that for all elections just to keep it in everybody’s head?”
Krohn suggested a change in the voting calendar could also change voter turnout.
Early voting runs through April 29. For more information, click here.
More Fiesta and Election Day coverage on KSAT:
