After records set on first day of early voting, bigger...

After setting a record for opening day, early voters in Bexar County turned out in even bigger numbers Tuesday, part of a South Texas phenomenon.

Along with huge poll numbers, Bexar County election officials said the voter registration rolls have swelled to a record 1,049,000 — and counting — for the Nov. 8 election.

Adding to Monday’s historic 35,431 Bexar County early votes were 38,603 more cast Tuesday, officials said. Early voting resumes today and ends Nov. 4.

Monday’s busiest local poll, at Brookhollow Library, was even busier Tuesday, with 1,632 voters. But second-day voting was busiest at Wonderland of the Americas mall, where 1,725 votes were cast, compared with 1,407 the previous day.

While pleased by the high turnout so far, Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen issued a plea for civility at the polls amid scattered reports of unruly voters who had verbal clashes with others waiting in line. On Monday, law enforcement officers were summoned to two polls to quell disturbances and in a third case responded to a claim of an impending terrorist attack.

“We’re facing high emotion, high energy, high passion,” Callanen said. “That’s bringing the voters in.”

But along with that energy have come a few complaints over voter conduct, she acknowledged.

“Where’s respect? Where’s our manners? Where’s our humanity?” she said, citing an incident at Castle Hills City Hall, where voters said a man in line made vulgar, racist and sexist remarks.

Callanen noted that poll site officials have authority within the voting area and up to 100 feet from the entrance. Beyond that distance, any concerns should be brought to the poll’s host location, such as library staff or city hall workers.

“It may not be an election infraction, but it’s a humanitarian infraction, and we really have to get control,” Callanen said.

Addressing other concerns raised so far, Callanen said officials were working to reduce poll bottlenecks and have removed outdated signs about photo ID requirements from the few sites that posted them.

“The staff visited every poll when they opened (Tuesday),” she said. “Every sign up there is correct.”

Responding to national reports of “vote-switching” software, allegedly capable of changing votes from one candidate to another or of casting a straight-ticket vote that resulted in a vote for a candidate from another party, Callanen said there have been no incidents reported here and that there are several security checks in place to prevent it from happening.

Bexar County Democratic Chairman Manuel Medina said the surge in voters includes a rising number of Latinos. The party’s analysis of first-day voting trends in Bexar County found 39 percent of the voters were Latino, compared with 29 percent on the first day of early voting in 2012, when Democrats made a strong showing.

More Information Early voting In-person turnout on first day Bexar: 35,431, up from 30,087 in 2012 Cameron: 6,581, up from 4,027 in 2012 Dallas: 58,337, up from 32,266 in 2012 El Paso: 15,125, up from 8,243 in 2012 Harris: 67,471, up from 47,093 in 2012 Hidalgo: 18,526, up from 11,977 in 2012 Tarrant: 43,149, up from 30,137 in 2012 Travis: 35,066, up from 16,378 in 2012 Source: Texas secretary of state

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Other parts of South Texas also were recording high turnout numbers.

“Phenomenal,” said Ricardo “Ric” Godinez, chairman of the Hidalgo County Democratic Party.

Godinez said early voter turnout was up about 70 percent, and he was cautiously optimistic that Democrats are outpacing Republicans in early voting.

“Obviously that's a great number, but in my experience there are pockets of the county with a strong Republican early vote,” he said.

Even as the presidential race has been driving increased voter registration and record early voter turnout, Godinez said, a hotly contested hospital tax district vote — voters rejected a similar proposal in 2014 — is also contributing to Republican turnout in the Valley.

“If this pace keeps up, the idea that South Texas doesn’t vote will finally be swept into the dustbin of history,” said Cameron County Elections Administrator Remi Garza.

“We have seen lines sustain themselves throughout the day at each of our polling locations. We were able to move the voters through quickly, but they just kept showing up,” Garza said.

“The voters have all been patient and understanding,” Garza added.

An official in Hidalgo County said there had not been any major issues there, either. However, they have seen long lines in some polling stations.

Early voting was high across the state, with records broken in Dallas, Tarrant, El Paso, Travis and Harris counties.

jgonzalez@express-news.net

Twitter: @johnwgonzalez