Ballot counting continues in Bexar County

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) – The ballot-counting isn’t over in Bexar County.

Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen says the deadline to receive military and overseas ballots is 5 pm Monday.

“We had 8,500 military ballots, which is exceptional,” said Callanen.

Many received their blank ballots by email, but they had to be mailed back and received by the Bexar County Elections Office by 5 pm Monday, Nov. 9.  In addition, military and overseas voters have the option of writing-in their choices for federal offices in case their full ballots does not arrive in time.  Overseas is defined as anywhere outside the United  States, including Canada and Mexico.

“It assures the military personnel and the expats (expatriates) that if their full ballot does not get back to us we can count the federal ballot and that allows them to cast their vote for President, Senator and U.S. Reps (representatives),” said Callanen.

However,  the elections office can’t start counting those federal ballots until workers have verified that the person’s full ballot did not arrive by the 5 pm deadline.

The elections office also is verifying provisional ballots.  These involve affidavits that voters complete if, for example, the voter’s registration can’t be verified at a polling place or if a voter doesn’t have one of the acceptable forms of photo ID.  The information must be verified before the ballot is counted.