El Paso County Voters Face Low Turnout in Key School Board Elections

El Paso County is experiencing extremely low voter turnout ahead of its May 2025 Uniform Election, with early voting participation hovering around 1-3% despite over half a million registered voters. This election will determine leadership for the county's largest school districts, including four seats each on the El Paso and Socorro Independent School District boards, as well as positions on the San Elizario ISD, El Paso Community College board, and various local government offices. The school boards face significant challenges, such as superintendent searches, major budget deficits, school closures, and staff layoffs, issues that have sparked community concern. Experts attribute the low turnout to lack of public awareness and the off-cycle timing of the election, suggesting that aligning local elections with national ones could improve participation. Despite the importance of these decisions, many residents remain uninformed or unmotivated to vote, meaning a small number of voters will have an outsized influence on the outcomes. Polls are open countywide, and any registered voter within each entity's boundaries is eligible to participate.