HARLINGEN – Early voting in Cameron County is breaking records, with nearly as many votes cast on day two as there were on the first day of early voting.
According to Cameron County elections officials, 6,539 voters cast ballots on Tuesday. In 2012, 4,391 people voted early on day two and in 2008 only 3,646.
So far, a total of 13,120 registered voters in Cameron County took part in the first two days of early voting. Four years ago the figure was 8,419 and in 2008 officials said 7,211 voted in the first two days.
Cameron County Elections Administrator Remi Garza says the turnout is unprecedented.
“In both respects of volume and as a percentage of eligible voters, these numbers are exceptional. I am not aware of any other countywide elections that have had this high of a turnout this early.”
As is tradition, the busiest voting location in the county continues to be the Brownsville Public Library on Central Boulevard where a total of 2,298 ballots were cast Monday and Tuesday, which amounts to 17.5 percent of the countywide number. That’s nearly twice as many votes as were cast in 2008.
The Harlingen county annex building on Wilson Road is the second-busiest location with a total of 1,629 votes. The Harlingen Cultural Arts Center and the San Benito Community Building are tied for third with 1,185 ballots each. The San Benito location, which has been a polling place for decades, has more than doubled voter turnout in comparison to the 2008 general election.
OTHER ELECTIONS ATTRACT VOTERS
The Cameron County Elections Office is also running the elections for the Brownsville, La Feria and Santa Maria school districts as well as the Los Fresnos city elections.
The BISD election, which has 19 candidates vying for four school board seats, attracted 5,097 early votes. A total of 2,509 people voted on Monday and another 2,588 voted on Tuesday.
There are three races for the La Feria school board of trustees and so far 514 early voting ballots have been cast in those races. In Santa Maria, 124 early ballots were cast on Monday and Tuesday for the three school trustee seats and in the Los Fresnos city council races 212 ballots were cast in early voting.
