Cameron County experiences low early voter turnout

BROWNSVILLE — As expected, Cameron County registered voters are not showing up in high numbers to cast ballots in the Constitutional Amendment election and the county’s special election.
Early voting numbers show that as of Thursday — the most current numbers available as of press time Friday — 734 votes had been cast in both elections, the Cameron County Election and Voter Registration Office reported. Early voting began Monday.
Cameron County’s Harlingen annex and the county’s Elections Office in Brownsville had the highest early voting numbers cast at 295 and 293 respectively.
Figures show 79 votes were casts at the Los Fresnos Community Building while 67 voters cast ballots at the San Benito Community Building.
The county has more than 170,000 registered voters.
In an earlier interview, Elections Administrator Roger Ortiz said he did not expect there to be heavy voter turnout in the election, but hoped the county’s special election would help draw in the numbers.
Statewide, voters will be casting ballots on 10 proposed amendments to the Texas constitution. In Cameron County, voters will also decide whether Cameron County sheriff’s deputies and jailers should have collective bargaining rights.
Collective bargaining would allow the deputies to sit down with their employer and discuss entry-level requirements, promotional opportunities, internal investigations, disciplinary appeals, salaries and benefits, among other items, officials said.
Voters planning to take advantage of the early voting period should take their voter identification card with them when they report to the voting sites, Ortiz said. If they have yet to receive their voter identification card, they can take photo identification such as a driver’s license or a governmental entity bill that has their name and address on it.
Early voting runs through Friday, Nov. 4.