Cameron County election officials on Monday reviewed the first countywide election held in November 2024, approved a recommended list of early-voting and Election Day locations for a special joint election on May 3, 2025, and voted to ask the commissioners court to continue the countywide polling-place program after receiving designation from the Texas secretary of state.

The county’s Elections Administrator, Remy, summarized the November 2024 election and the rollout of countywide voting: “there were a hundred and 1 precincts in Cameron County. We had a total of 68 polling locations,” and the report listed 238,649 registered voters and a turnout percentage of 49.13 percent. Remy said the county used DS300 scanners at 24 early-voting sites and DS200 scanners at all Election Day locations, and that ballot-on-demand printers and ADA-compliant ballot-marking devices were available at all sites.

The presentation stressed voter adoption of the countywide model: Remy noted that many Election Day sites served mostly voters from outside the site’s home precinct — for example, “Harlingen Cultural Arts … 95 percent of the people who voted there were outside of their precincts,” and the Brownsville Public Library likewise saw 93 percent of voters coming from outside the library’s precinct. Commission members said those patterns — and the elimination of some provisional ballots — supported continued use of countywide voting and should guide future decisions on which polling places to keep.

The commission approved the Elections Administrator’s recommendation to acknowledge the report and then approved the recommended list of early-voting and Election Day sites for the May 3 special election, with the caveat that the final list could change if jurisdictions that normally participate do not order elections by statutory deadlines. The commission noted that some jurisdictions (including several cities and school districts) still have until mid-February to order elections; if they do not, the county will remove associated locations.

Officials discussed a possible new voting location at the Starbase area to serve workers and residents near the proposed incorporation site. Remy said the county is preparing cost estimates so organizers or the future incorporated entity can be asked to reimburse or donate toward election expenses. Legal counsel and commissioners recalled past practice in which the county paid to conduct an incorporation election and later sought reimbursement; officials said arrangements varied by case.

Commission staff told the panel they estimate that a very small jurisdiction running a standalone election could cost roughly $18,000, but participation with larger jurisdictions typically reduces the net per‑jurisdiction cost to an estimated $6,000–$7,000; staff said they will track expenses and provide a post‑election accounting if a newly incorporated entity or organizing group wishes to reimburse the county.

The commission also discussed state legislation that would eliminate the countywide polling-place program and ban electronic poll books. Remy told the commission that two bills (identified in the meeting as Senate bills 76 and 77, filed by Senator Hall) would both eliminate the countywide program and restrict use of electronic poll books. The commission voted to recommend that the commissioners court adopt a resolution opposing elimination of countywide voting and the use of electronic poll books. Remy said the county had received a successful designation from the secretary of state under Texas Election Code section 43.007, and he thanked county officials and election workers for training and implementation.

Votes at a glance

- Acknowledged Elections Administrator’s November 2024 report (motion by the county clerk; seconded by the tax assessor). Outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Approved recommended early‑voting locations and Election Day countywide voting‑center sites for the May 3, 2025 special election (motion to approve the list by the Elections Administrator; motion seconded). Outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Recommended that the commissioners court continue Cameron County’s participation in the countywide polling‑place program. Outcome: approved (motion by Mr. Hakama; seconded by Mr. Garcia; voice vote).
- Recommended that the commissioners court adopt a resolution opposing legislation that would eliminate the countywide program and ban electronic poll books (identified in discussion as Senate bills 76 and 77 by Senator Hall). Outcome: approved (motion moved and seconded; voice vote).

Why it matters

Countywide polling places change where and how ballots are produced and issued: ballot‑on‑demand printing allows a voter’s specific ballot style (based on residence and districts) to be produced at any county polling location. Officials said the system reduced the need for provisional ballots and gave voters more convenient access to polling sites across jurisdictional lines. The fate of the program and use of electronic poll books is now partly a matter for the Texas Legislature; the commission’s recommendation asks the commissioners court to oppose bills that would curtail those tools.

What’s next

Commission staff said they will present the recommended early‑voting and Election Day site list to the commissioners court (agenda item scheduled the next business day) and finalize the May 3 site list once jurisdictions confirm whether they will order elections. Staff also will prepare post‑election expense tallies to support any reimbursement requests by newly incorporated entities or petition organizers if the county fronts election costs.