El Paso County early voting begins Monday with two-week window

Early voting in El Paso County begins Monday, with the Elections Department encouraging residents to cast ballots over the next two weeks rather than wait until Election Day on Nov. 3, according to KVIA.

The county has two weeks of early voting, including weekends, to accommodate voters before the general election. The Elections Department projects shorter lines during the early voting period compared to Election Day itself.

As of Oct. 19, El Paso County has over 540,700 registered voters. The department has observed higher voter interest this cycle compared to the last midterm and primary elections, with an increase of 10,000 registration applications during the most recent primary election. State races for governor and senator are driving much of that increased engagement.

Melissa Martin, a coordinator with the El Paso County Elections Department, stressed that voters should pay attention to all races on the ballot. "We always say that the ballot is what drives the voters to the polls," Martin said, according to KVIA. "We have the school districts, we have also the cities and water districts. You know, local elections always matter." Martin noted the ballot is lengthy and recommended voters review a sample ballot before heading to the polls.

Voters must bring one of several accepted forms of photo identification: a Texas driver's license, U.S. citizenship certificate or certificate of naturalization, or U.S. passport book or card.

Following issues during the primary election, the Elections Department conducted a logic and accuracy test last week on electronic pollbook equipment to ensure devices are functioning properly and ballot styles are correctly assigned to voters. "Everything is running smoothly on our end, everything is going to be ready," Martin said. "We are currently also training our poll workers."

The first and last days of early voting—Oct. 19 and Oct. 30—are expected to be the busiest. Most early voting locations open as early as 8 a.m., and voters can cast ballots at any location. The Elections Department provides wait time information on its website.