El Paso Daily Brief: Voting Hours Extended, Utility Appeals, and City Hall Updates
El Paso, TX – March 4, 2026 – Poll hours extended amid check-in issues; city fights utility hikes; new auditor named; privacy debate flares.
Election Day: polls open later
El Paso County voting sites got an extra hour to accommodate voters after a court order extended Election Day hours to 8 p.m. Voters already in line by 7 p.m. could cast a regular ballot, while those arriving after 7 p.m. were directed to a provisional option during the added hour.
The extension followed reports of earlier slowdowns tied to voter check-in tablets at some sites. Elections staff said ballot-marking equipment stayed operational, and workers used manual check-in when needed while the software was restored.
Utility bills: the city keeps fighting rate increases
City leaders voted to pursue a rehearing and potential court appeal of a state-approved Texas Gas Service rate increase, arguing local customers should not shoulder costs they see as unrelated to El Paso. The approved decision was described as raising typical residential bills by about $4 a month, with larger residential users seeing higher impacts.
Separately, the city filed for a rehearing in the El Paso Electric base-rate case, focusing on how certain transmission revenue credits are handled and how costs are allocated to residential customers.
City Hall: new watchdog role filled
City Council named Adrian Serrano as El Paso’s next Chief Internal Auditor after a national search. The role is responsible for overseeing audits across city programs and helping strengthen internal controls and accountability.
Safety and privacy notes
Police officials said they are increasing patrol visibility citywide as a precaution while monitoring international events, stressing there were no known credible threats. Meanwhile, two city representatives put renewed attention on license plate-reading cameras, raising concerns about safeguards and potential misuse.
On the calendar
For those looking to get outside, the city’s Hike-A-Thon series is set to return March 7 with a slate of guided morning hikes through early May.
Sources
- https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/el-paso-county-voters-more-015954636.html
- https://kvia.com/news/top-stories/2026/03/03/el-paso-voters-describe-confusion-delays-after-check-in-issues/
- https://kvia.com/news/top-stories/2026/03/02/city-council-votes-to-appeal-texas-gas-service-rate-case-decision/
- https://kvia.com/news/top-stories/2026/03/02/city-of-el-paso-seeks-rehearing-on-el-paso-electric-rate-case/
- https://kvia.com/news/2026/03/03/el-paso-city-council-appoints-new-chief-internal-auditor/
- https://kvia.com/news/2026/03/01/el-paso-city-representatives-raise-privacy-concerns-over-flock-camera-program/
- https://kvia.com/news/2026/03/03/live-active-el-paso-brings-back-hike-a-thon/
- https://kvia.com/news/2026/03/01/eppd-to-increase-patrols-citing-recent-international-events/
