When our community came together 7 years ago to map our future and set shared goals, San Antonio named voter turnout as one of those measures of success. If more San Antonians are aware of the policies set by our elected officials and involved in the process selecting these representatives, we know that more community involvement would follow. And more involvement means a greater impact on all of our community goals.
San Antonio has 753,736 registered voters—an impressive number that was boosted by last year’s national election. However, the vast majority of eligible voters aren’t voting in our local elections. In May’s general election, which featured Mayor, all City Council seats, and City and Alamo Colleges bonds, only 13.2% of San Antonians cast a vote. 90% of voters were 35 or older, even though San Antonio’s median age is 34.1. And at the end of early voting in this month’s runoff election, which has Mayor and 6 City Council seats on the ballot, only 8% of our community had voted.
In a community as diverse, creative, and forward-thinking as ours, shouldn’t our electorate be more representative of our population? We think so. For the next two years, our elected officials will lead our city and make important decisions—many of which will impact the vision we created together.
San Antonio needs your voice. Fortunately, you have another opportunity to lend your voice at the polls. Election Day for the runoff is this Saturday, June 10th, and polls are open 7 am – 7 pm. You must vote at your assigned precinct, but it should be close to your house, and lines won’t likely be too long. Find your precinct here.
Have questions about the candidates or need more info about voting? Read MOVE San Antonio’s runoff Voters’ Guide here, or visit ilovesanantonio.org. Then, make a plan to vote on Saturday, bring a friend or family member, and get to the polls!
