If you’re heading to the polls in New Mexico to vote on Election Day today, Nov. 8, 2022, they are open until 7 p.m. and you just have to be in line at that time to cast your ballot.
Do be aware that voting locations are expected to be busy, especially before and after work hours and during lunchtime, according to the Secretary of State's Office.
VOTING ABSENTEE
If you requested an absentee ballot, it is too late to mail it. It must be received by 7 p.m. tonight, so you’ll want to hand deliver it to a polling site or ballot drop box. If you won’t be delivering your ballot yourself, only your caregivers or immediate family members (spouse, children, parents or siblings) can return your ballot for you.
If you’ve already mailed your absentee ballot, check whether it’s been received and accepted on the Secretary of State’s Voter Portal. If it hasn’t, and you’d like to go ahead and vote in-person instead, just tell the poll worker when you arrive and you’ll sign an affidavit to void the mailed ballot before you cast a new one in person.
SAME DAY VOTER REGISTRATION
If you’re not yet registered to vote, you can do that today when you go to a polling place and then cast your ballot that very same visit. While New Mexico does not require an ID to vote, you do need one to register. Here’s a list of what counts as proper identification for Same Day Registration in New Mexico.
WHAT'S ON THE BALLOT
Still haven’t wrapped your head around the races and statewide ballot measures on this year’s ballot? Check out KUNM and Source New Mexico’s Voters Guide! You can also see what your ballot looks like by going to VOTE411.
And tune in to 89.9 FM or KUNM.org tonight, Tuesday Nov. 8, starting at 6 p.m. for live local and national election coverage with the KUNM News team and our partners at Source New Mexico, KSFR News, New Mexico PBS, The Daily Lobo and NPR.
ELECTION RESULTS
We will bring you the results as we have them on air at 89.9 FM and online at KUNM.org. We are relying on race calls from theAssociated Press. Do be aware that we may not have all of the results tonight, depending on what the state sees in terms of the number of mailed ballots and close races. (Nash Jones/KUNM News)
Your rights as a voter — and who to call if they’re violated - By Marisa Demarco, Source New Mexico
The U.S. Department of Justice announced it’s sending personnel to keep an eye out for violations of people’s voting rights to two counties in New Mexico: Bernalillo and San Juan. The top concerns for the department are discrimination and intimidation, as well as language and accessibility.
It’s part of an effort in 24 states today. So what are your rights as a voter in New Mexico? We’ve got the rundown here.
Remember, your right to vote is protected. You can expect to be treated respectfully by election officials, to vote in private and to bring someone to assist you if you need help accessing, reading or marking your ballot.
At the polls, no one can confront you, raise their voice with you, threaten or insult you under the law.
Check out the Voter Bill of Rights to learn more.
You can alert the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division about a possible violation of voting rights by calling 1-800-253-3931. Staff will be on hand to receive complaints. Or, you can submit a complaint online at civilrights.justice.gov.
If you run into any problems or irregularities, you can also call the Secretary of State’s Office: 1-800-477-3632.
The Disability Rights division can field calls or questions related to voting and the Americans with Disabilities Act, too: 1-800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint online at ada.gov.
Common Cause New Mexico is sending trained volunteers to polling places across the state to help anyone who needs assistance casting a ballot. And you can also reach out about problems you encounter using their nonpartisan voter protection hotlines: 1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) or for Spanish-speakers 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA.
New Mexico Native Vote and Common Cause N.M. are also offering more hotlines to help more voters who primarily speak languages other than English with election issues or questions.
- Diné: (505) 587-5758
- Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu and Tagalog: (888) 274-8683
- Arabic: (844) 925-5287
And even though this might all sound like a lot, don’t let it discourage you from voting today. Plenty of people don’t spend much time in line or have any problems at all at the polls. All of these efforts are in place to make sure your rights are protected and things run smoothly.
The Your New Mexico Government project is a collaboration between KUNM and New Mexico PBS with support from the Thornburg Foundation.
