HARLINGEN — Sherman Aguilar was not going to waste any more time looking for his polling place.
He had been riding around the neighborhood all morning from one school to another looking for his place to vote.
Aguilar, 55, a Harlingen resident, rolled up on his bike at Bowie Elementary to cast his vote at around lunch time.
By then, nearly 300 people had already voted since the polls opened.
The precinct is known for its large voter turnout, and this year was no different.
Aguilar was not about to waste his vote on “Decision Day.”
Many seats in Texas were up for grabs, starting at the governor’s office, Texas Supreme Court and other judicial seats, county judge, the hotly contested U.S. Senate race between Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke, and several bond issues.
Political pundits have said Cameron and Hidalgo counties would be key counties for many of the seats up for grabs.
With his ID in hand, Aguilar was ready to vote straight ticket.
“I have always voted Democrat,” Aguilar said.
He said he was there this year because immigration was a hot issue.
“We all came here from immigrant families from other countries,” Aguilar said. “The only true Americans are the American Indians.”
Voters were still trickling in as Aguilar hopped on his bike and rode off into the day.
U.S. Army Korean War veteran Wenceslao Torres, 84, walked out of the polling place happy to have voted once more.
“I have to vote,” the veteran said. “I vote in every election.”
LA FERIA
Voters were waiting in line for up to 30 minutes from the time the polls opened in the morning to cast their vote.
Many were there to take a stand in the Senate race, and to have a say on who will guide the school district as four school board seats and one city commission seat were also on the ballot.
It was not clear how many people had voted by noon.
But the city and school candidates standing nearby said plenty of voters had been arriving all morning.
City Hall was the only polling location in the city and it was active.
Candidates stood with signs in hand waiving at cars and cheering for their candidates as voters pulled into the polling place to vote.
As voters came in they were greeted by the local candidates.
“La Feria is not the only place that is having record numbers,” Victor Gonzalez, a candidate for school board, said about the voter turnout. “A lot of people are coming out to vote.”
