SAN ANTONIO — Bexar County elections officials say they have cleared a backlog of thousands of voter registration applications in time for early voting for the March 3 primary.
The backlog, reported last week at nearly 7,000 applications, was addressed by hiring at least a dozen temporary workers who put in extended hours, Elections Administrator Michele Carew said Tuesday.
“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 a statement.
Recurring delays are largely attributed to the State of Texas’ TEAM voter-registration system, which has slowed processing. Last fall, the county faced a backlog of roughly 75,000 registrations, which was cleared just days before the November election.
Residents still have until Feb. 2 to register to vote for the upcoming primary. County Judge Peter Sakai said officials are confident the election will run smoothly.
“I am committed to a safe, efficient and reliable voting process that includes ensuring voters receive accurate and timely information,” Sakai said.