By Edmond Ortiz
San Antonio-area voters are heading to the polls May 2 to determine the outcome of city council races in 12 cities, and school board contests in six school districts.
Meanwhile, Schertz voters are casting ballots to settle a special Schertz City Council election.
Prepare for May 2 elections
Candidates participating in local May 2 elections remain hopeful of a surge of Election Day voters, although voter turnout in Bexar County barely hit .47% during the early voting period of April 20-28. That number is far short of the 22% countywide voter turnout recorded during March 3 party primaries.
Voters living in the following cities may cast a ballot May 2 if they had not done so during the early voting period: Balcones Heights, Castle Hills, Leon Valley, Helotes, Shavano Park, Garden Ridge, Kirby, Live Oak, Selma, Universal City, New Braunfels, and Fair Oaks Ranch.
Two towns – New Braunfels and Leon Valley – offer a mayoral election; Live Oak has no contested mayoral match, but one resident there is eligible as a write-in candidate.
The following school districts have contested races on local ballots May 2: Alamo Heights ISD, North East ISD, Southwest ISD, Alamo Colleges District, Boerne ISD, and Medina Valley ISD.
Additionally, voters in the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District are deciding the fate of a proposed $295 million bond package designed to impact existing campuses and athletic facilities.
Election Day polls will be open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at 34 Bexar County sites, seven Comal County locations, six Guadalupe County sites, three Kendall County locations, and at least three Medina County locales.
The Tobin Library at Oakwell and the Lions Field Adult and Senior Center each received 900-plus early voters ahead of the May 2 local elections, according to the Bexar County Elections Department.
Universal City Library placed third in total number of early voting ballots cast – 842. Four residents, including two incumbents, are running for three at-large Universal City City Council positions.
VIA Metropolitan Transit will offer fare-free rides to Bexar County polling locations to anyone presenting a valid voter registration card on Election Day. The complimentary service will be available across regular bus service, VIA Link and VIAtrans paratransit service throughout the VIA service area.
VIA officials said the “Ride VIA to Vote” initiative is meant to lift transportation barriers and make it easier for residents to exercise their right to vote, particularly for those who may not otherwise have access to reliable transportation.
Special Schertz election underway
Early voting began April 29 for the May 16 runoff election for Schertz City Council Place 6 between Sarah Dietz and Raquel Gutierrez.
Dietz, a realtor, and Gutierrez, a community volunteer and wife of former Mayor Ralph Gutierrez, were the top two vote-getters in the initial April 4 election, which will determine a new Place 6 council member.
The runoff election winner will replace Allison Heyward, who left the council to mount an unsuccessful campaign in the March 2 Republican primary for Guadalupe County Precinct 3 commissioner. The winner will serve out the rest of Heyward’s term, which expires in November 2027.
Early voting will take place 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays through May 12 at the Guadalupe County Schertz Annex, 1101 Elbel Road, and the main county elections office, 3251 N. Hwy. 123, in Seguin. Election Day voting will be offered 7 a.m.-7 p.m. May 16 at the Schertz county annex.
