Dathan Trevino CAMERON AND HIDALGO COUNTY— According to election administrators, the voter turnout expectancy is high with 237,000 registered voters in Cameron County and 446,749 registered voters in Hidalgo County.
The number of ballots cast as of Oct. 27 in Hidalgo County was 97,706, and 1,099 of those ballots were cast at UTRGV.
In Cameron County, 51,726 voters cast a ballot with 1,099 ballots submitted at UTRGV.
On the first day of early voting, Cameron County received a total of 11,072 ballots and 211 of those ballots were cast at UTRGV Student Union Salon Gardenia.
In Hidalgo County, a total of 18,258 people voted on the first day with 939 of those ballots submitted at on the UTRGV Edinburg Student Academic Center.
Cameron County elections administrator Remi Garza said the county observed an increase of registered voters since the last 2020 election.
“We did have an increase in people submitting their applications to register by the deadline of October 7,” Garza said. “… I think 2020 we had approximately 219,000 people that were eligible to vote, right now we’re at 237,000 people who are registered.”
Garza said the county receives the highest turnout for the presidential election and is expecting participation from roughly 120,00 to 125,00 Cameron County residents.
Hidalgo County Elections Administrator Hilda Salinas said the county is expecting a high voter turnout as well.
“It is the presidential, and who and what and what measures are on the ballot is what drives the vote,” Salinas said.
Salinas said a maintenance check is conducted for all voting machines before the election to test logic, and accuracy and the public is permitted to view the testing process.
“So, that event is open to the public, and of course, you know, for the candidates, you know, everybody’s invited to take a look at the process,” she said. “This is where everything is checked to make sure that everything is tabulated correctly, even how the ballot reads. So, anything and everything is, it’s a test, you know that is offered, especially for the public to come in and check”Early voting ends on Nov. 1 and Election Day is Nov. 5
