Mold Remediation in San Antonio, TX

Those heading to the polls in Bexar County could face long lines, but at least three area locations have barely any wait time at all, according to local elections officials.

The polling locations with the shortest waits at 11 a.m. Tuesday were Lions Field Adult and Senior Center, 289 Broadway; Brandeis High School, 13011 Kyle Seale Parkway; and Helotes City Hall, 12951 Bandera Road, Elections Administrator Jacquelyn Callanen told reporters at a Tuesday press conference.

"They've all called in saying, 'Send us voters, send us voters,'" Callanen said. "And that's a great sign."

More than half of all eligible Bexar County voters had already cast their ballots as of 11 a.m.

"We would love to be able to break that 65% we had during the last presidential election," Callanen added. "I think we're going to do it. That's our goal."

Polls close at 7 p.m. Tuesday. However, those in line before the cutoff time still will be able to cast their ballots.

Bexar County residents should expect to see the first early voting results by 7:10 p.m., according to Callanen.

Residents can find more information on polling locations and check if they're registered to vote by visiting the Bexar County Elections Department's website.

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The wait is over. South Texas finally experienced significant, heavy rainfall late Monday and into early Tuesday, thanks to a cold front that traversed the state from the northwest to the southeast. Portions of the Hill Country got the heaviest rainfall, but the San Antonio metro area also received much-needed rain.

How much rain fell?

Here in San Antonio, 1.08 inches of rain fell Monday night, and then an additional 0.53 inches fell before dawn on Tuesday. That’s a grand total of 1.61 inches of rain, which is the highest two-day rainfall total San Antonio has recorded since Jan. 23-24, when 1.99 inches of rain fell in the Alamo City.

We needed this latest rainfall, too. From Sept. 6 through Oct. 28, San Antonio had gone 53 consecutive days without measurable rainfall, the fourth-longest such streak in the city’s history. As a result, most of Bexar County had fallen back into extreme drought before this week’s rain.

Many parts of the Hill Country recorded even higher rainfall totals, thanks to the especially slow-moving thunderstorms Monday evening. A few miles southeast of Blanco, rain gauges recorded 5.17 inches of rain. Areas to the south, including Bulverde, Canyon Lake and Spring Branch, generally saw rainfall totals between 1.5 and 3 inches.

Cities in the Interstate 35 corridor had similar rainfall totals to San Antonio. New Braunfels recorded 1.2 inches of rain, San Marcos had 1.86 inches and Austin got 1.94 inches.

Yearly rainfall total

So far in 2024, the Alamo City’s official weather observation station at San Antonio International Airport has recorded only 22.95 inches of rain. That is still 5.78 inches of rain below average for this point in the year.

While the heavy rainfall Monday night was helpful, it’s unlikely that we’ll make up the rainfall deficit from normal by the end of the year, especially because below-average precipitation is favored to continue during the upcoming La Niña winter.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, extreme drought still persists across much of South Texas, which includes the majority of Bexar, Medina, Bandera, Kendall, Comal and Hays counties. The next update to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which will include data from Tuesday, could show an improvement to the drought status on Thursday.

Any more rain coming?

We have good news if you’re heading out to vote this Election Day. The rain is over, and dry weather is expected to continue for the rest of the day. Wednesday will also be dry, as mostly sunny skies are expected across South Texas.

After that, rain chances will increase again by Thursday. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected Thursday afternoon and evening. Some storms could be strong and bring an isolated severe weather or flooding risk. San Antonio’s Thursday rain chances are about 60%.

Scattered showers and storms will also be possible on Friday as well, as another cold front pushes through the region. Be sure to stay updated with expressnews.com/weather for the latest forecasts.

Nov 5, 2024

Newsroom Meteorologist

Anthony Franze is a native Texan and very passionate about covering any weather that is thrown at him. He can be reached at anthony.franze@express-news.net.

Anthony earned a degree in Meteorology from Valparaiso University in 2017. He has worked as a broadcast meteorologist for six years, one at NBC Montana and the next five at NewsWest 9 in Midland before joining the Express-News in July 2023.

In his free time, Anthony enjoys watching sports, checking out local restaurants and breweries, and getting outside whenever the heat allows for it. If you have any story ideas, questions about the weather or restaurant suggestions, drop him a line.

San Antonio voters supported six amendments to the City Charter on the November ballot.

Why it matters: The propositions will bring in sweeping changes to how local government and the City Council operate, raising councilmember pay and removing caps on the pay and tenure of the city manager.

Reality check: With high turnout for the presidential election, many local voters might not have known much about the propositions.

Here's what you need to know about all six propositions and how they performed.

Proposition A — passed, 72% for

This proposition is aimed at strengthening the Ethics Review Board.

It will:

Proposition B — passed, 68% for

This amendment will modernize City Charter language — for example, referring to city officials not only as "he/him" but with more gender-neutral pronouns.

Proposition C — passed, 54% for

This proposition will remove the current caps on the city manager's tenure and pay, allowing the City Council to set those instead of the City Charter.

Context: Voters approved the cap — which ties the city manager's pay to 10 times the lowest-paid city employee, and caps tenure at eight years — in 2018 during a feud between the firefighters' union and former city manager Sheryl Sculley.

Proposition D — passed, 63% for

This will allow civilian employees to donate to or campaign for candidates running for local elected office, while ensuring protection if anyone retaliated against an employee for not supporting a campaign.

Proposition E — passed, 64% for

This proposition will raise annual pay for city councilmembers to $70,200, and yearly pay for the mayor to $87,800.

Context: Councilmembers are currently paid $45,722, equivalent to the then-median household income in San Antonio when the pay was set in 2015. The mayor's salary is $61,725.

Proposition F — passed, 53% for

The final amendment will extend City Council terms to four years from the current two years.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to show all propositions passed.

Early voting in San Antonio has seen a record number of voters eager to cast their ballot. However, most people will cast their ballot on November 5 and it will be a busy day for voters and poll workers alike. Throughout the city, businesses are showing support of the election process with deals that capitalize on the hubbub of Election Day by encouraging people to visit their locations.

While you can't make monetary offers to influence an election, most businesses are not looking to sway voter behavior. Instead they are offering a ‘sticker swap.’ Many are offering a respite from the hectic day with free food and discounted activities. Others are offering discounted food deliveries for election night grub for watching the news stream.

Here are some options to enjoy a hot meal or free ride on an already stressful day.

Nicha's Comida Mexicana

Voters who bring in their "I Voted" sticker to any Nicha's location can get one free carne guisada taco when they purchase a soft drink. The offer is dine in only and is only one per person.

Idle Beer Hall & Brewery

Idle Beer Hall & Brewery is giving out a half-pint beer to people who show their "I Voted" sticker on Tuesday, according to a social media post. Located at 414 Brooklyn Ave., San Antonio, Texas, 78215.

Bakery Lorraine

A Hill Country staple patisserie, Bakery Lorraine is offering a free small house coffee with the proof of an ‘I Voted’ sticker. The San Antonio favorite bakery has three locations in the city as well as one inside the Doseum that is subject to the museum’s hours.

Amy’s Ice Cream

The gourmet Amy’s ice cream chain is known for their eclectic ice cream offerings and a variety of mix-in flavorings. This year, Amy’s is offering a free ice cream topping or ‘crush’n’, an Amy’s specialty add-in, for those with an ‘I Voted’ sticker. There is only one Amy’s location located by the Quarry.

Shake Shack

Shake Shack is offering free fries with any purchase on November 5. Use the code “ivoted” on the Shack app to receive your freebie or show an ‘I Voted’ sticker at your closest location.

Krispy Kreme

America’s beloved donut chain Krispy Kreme is offering a free glazed donut to sweeten election day. No sticker required.

Dave and Buster’s

For many Americans, Election Day is a day of marked anxiety. Thankfully, Dave and Buster’s is offering a refuge from the couch headlines on Nov. 5 by offering discounts on drinks and their arcade. If you visit, you can get $5 late night bites and $5 drinks. All night, you can also enjoy half-priced games at their arcade.

Witte Museum

While the Witte offers free general admission for Bexar County residents every Tuesday, this election day can be coincidentally spent at San Antonio’s top museum for free. What better distraction from the news than to be immersed in the natural world with the family? Free museum open hours on Tuesdays run from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

VIA Bus

While some businesses are offering discounts on their transportation services, VIA is providing the cheapest and accessible way to reach the polls this year. The San Antonio public transport system is offering fare-free rides to the polling locations throughout the city on Nov. 5.The complimentary service is available for regular bus service, VIA Link, and VIAtrans paratransit service throughout the VIA service area, according to VIA transit authority.

Uber

Uber is offering discount rides to the polls and discount grub on Nov. 5. Users can get 25% off Uber Eats after 6 p.m on election night and get a ride to a polling location for 50% off (up to $10 off.)

Lyft

Lyft is offering 50% off on any rideshare, bike, or scooter using the code VOTE24 on Election Day.

If you have not voted, make transportation plans and check nearby polling locations. You can check voter registration status here.

Plus a look at how the aquifer may benefit

After a very dry and warm October, November has started off pretty great for us. Here’s a look at neighborhood rainfall totals from storms Monday night:

Rainfall Totals

BEXAR COUNTY

KENDALL, COMAL, & GUADALUPE COUNTIES

Crys22601

Almost 2&1/4 in Rebecca Creek rd across from the golf course.

1 day ago0

Spring Branch

Have a photo to submit of your rain gauge? Upload it to KSAT Connect for the chance to see it on-air!

BANDERA & MEDINA COUNTIES

ATASCOSA & WILSON COUNTIES

HOW WILL THE AQUIFER BENEFIT?

In addition to Monday night’s rain, we also saw some great rain fall along the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone Saturday, Nov. 2. It takes a couple of days for the water to filter into the aquifer, but so far we’ve seen a small rise in San Antonio’s main source of water. Unfortunately, since the aquifer is still more than 30 ft below average, it will take much more rain to return the aquifer to healthy levels. Still, take a look at how much rain has fallen along the recharge zone since Saturday — impressive! READ MORE: How does the Edwards Aquifer work & why is it so heavily regulated? KSAT Explains

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