Rep. Gabe Vasquez wins reelection to Congress - By Alice Fordham, KUNM News
Democratic incumbent Gabe Vasquez has won a second term in the 2nd Congressional District, which covers most of southern New Mexico and stretches up to Albuquerque's South Valley by over nine percentage points, according to unofficial results.
His victory comes after a hard-fought race against Republican candidate Yvette Herrell, a conservative who takes a hard line on abortion and who refused to certify the 2020 election result.
The district is about 60% Hispanic, and Representative Vasquez, who is from a Mexican American family, told KUNM that his constituents appreciate seeing someone like them in Congress. With Hispanic voters more likely to be working class and live in family households, his campaign focused on pragmatic issues like jobs and the economy.
He also highlighted his efforts in Congress to pass legislation on the border and immigration. And with many constituents working in the oil and gas industries, he shied away from talking about an energy transition or climate change.
Harris wins New Mexico’s 5 electoral votes - by Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico
Vice President Kamala Harris won New Mexico’s five electoral votes, Tuesday, according to a call by the Associated Press, despite a last-minute effort from Donald Trump to galvanize Republican support.
While it was too soon to say whether Trump or Harris will set foot in the White House in January, the latest figures show Harris won New Mexico by a significant margin: 51.2% to 46.2%. That amounts to a roughly 40,000-vote advantage, with 75% of precincts reporting as of 9:38 p.m.
Trump drew thousands to a rally in Albuquerque the week before Election Day. During his speech, he falsely claimed he’d won New Mexico twice during his previous campaigns, even though he lost the state by nearly 100,000 votes in 2020 and by a similar margin in 2016.
He told his supporters that he hoped to win Hispanics by a greater margin than Democrats. New Mexico is more than 50% Hispanic.
Harris was expected to win the state since she entered the race. Polls consistently gave her a 7- to 8-point lead here. Harris did not visit New Mexico as part of her campaign.
Source New Mexico is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Source New Mexico maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Shaun Griswold for questions: info@sourcenm.com. Follow Source New Mexico on Facebook and X.
Democratic US Sen. Martin Heinrich wins third term in New Mexico – By Nash Jones, KUNM News
New Mexico has reelected U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich to a third term, according to an Associated Press race call. With 61% of votes reported, Heinrich has secured a victory with more than 55.4% of the vote over Republican challenger Nella Domenici, with 44.6%, according to unofficial results at 8:45 p.m. Tuesday. The result isn’t a shock, since Heinrich consistently led by double-digits in the polls. His victory gives Democrats a notch among the 34 Senate seats up for election this year.
Heinrich is the state’s senior U.S. Senator, first elected in 2012. Domenici’s strength as a challenger came in large part from her name recognition. Her father, Republican Pete Domenici, represented New Mexico in the Senate for 36 years, starting in the early 70s.
New Mexicans have sent Heinrich back to Washington D.C. on a platform of enshrining access to abortion care in federal law, immigration reform, furthering economic recovery and environmental protection.
Heinrich told KUNM last month that he is interested in carrying a bill to make abortion access federal law. Though Domenici said she did not back a federal abortion ban, Heinrich had warned that electing her would translate into support for a nationwide ban because a GOP-led Senate would vye for one.
As a Senator from a border state at a time when a historically high number of people have been crossing into the U.S. in recent years, Heinrich and Domenici also clashed over approaches to immigration reform and border security.
Heinrich ran on support for immigration reform and enhanced border security, as well as a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers. He visited the border in August to campaign on the Homeland Security Appropriations bill, which included $400 million he secured to stem the flow of fentanyl into New Mexico. He toured the Santa Teresa Port of Entry, which uses scanning technology funded by the bill.
Domenici had characterized Heinrich’s visit as politically-motivated and “too little too late.” She accused him in a debate on KOAT-TV of leaving the border “wide open for years and years,” though the Senator has voted for bipartisan reform packages that failed to pass. She ran in part on securing the border through erecting “physical barriers” in addition to the technology Heinrich has championed. She also wanted to see the Trump-era Remain in Mexico policy reinstated for asylum-seekers.
The Senator also ran on a record of historic federal investments in New Mexico’s economy, including manufacturing jobs in green energy and technology through the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and the CHIPS and Science Act. He has pledged to increase training opportunities to prepare New Mexicans to take those skilled trade jobs. Domenici, meanwhile, had charged Heinrich with backing “excessive” federal spending and a “radical climate change agenda.”
With oil and gas production fueling the state’s record budget, Heinrich said he supports investments in clean energy production in anticipation of an eventual downturn, without simply abandoning fossil fuels. At the same time, he proposes ramping up methane capture efforts to better protect the state’s air quality.
Heinrich has also championed several efforts to protect public lands in New Mexico, including designating White Sands National Park and the Rio Grande Del Norte and Organ Mountains Desert-Peaks national monuments. He told KUNM on the campaign trail these efforts are often what his supporters tell him they appreciate most about his tenure in the nation’s capital.
Melanie Stansbury sweeps NM Congressional District 1 - By Nash Jones, KUNM News
Democratic U.S. Representative Stansbury handily defeated Republican challenger Steve Jones in Tuesday’s election, receiving 56.3% of the vote in central New Mexico’s Congressional District 1, according to unofficial results.
Jones conceded to Stansbury in an email saying, “Congratulations, you ran a clean and solid race. It was good to meet you on the trail. Have a good term.”
The congresswoman for most of Albuquerque and its suburbs had vowed during the campaign to follow through on stalled efforts to reform the U.S. immigration system and compensate downwinders, along with securing federal abortion rights.
Stansbury was first elected to the U.S. House in a 2021 special election after Interior Secretary Deb Haaland was appointed to the Biden cabinet. She’d previously represented New Mexico House District 28 in the state Legislature.
Stansbury is a co-sponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would restore federal abortion protections after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision made access a state-level decision. She says if Democrats are able to secure majorities in the House and Senate, and win the Presidency, “it’ll be the first thing to pass.”
She also ran on helping comprehensive immigration reforms get through Congress in her next term after a bipartisan effort House Speaker Mike Johnson called “dead on arrival” failed in the Senate this year. She told KUNM she’d like any future proposal to include more asylum and immigration reform than the last one, which was heavily focused on border security measures.
“We need to be doing both,” she said.
Another stalled bill Stansbury says she and her fellow Democratic New Mexico representatives won’t quit on is the extension and expansion of RECA — the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. The bill would compensate New Mexicans poisoned by the federal government’s nuclear program, including bomb testing, waste and uranium mining. She called it a “fundamental justice and human rights issue,” that would have passed if Speaker Johnson had brought it up for a vote.
Stansbury says she relates with New Mexicans who struggle economically and ran on a record of voting for relief through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. She says she’ll zero in on affordable housing and hunger in her next term.
Leger Fernández wins re-election to Congress - by Alice Fordham, KUNM News
Democratic incumbent Teresa Leger Fernández has won reelection in the 3rd Congressional District, which covers the north of the state, including Santa Fe, and stretches into the southeastern oil patch.
Leger Fernández defeated Republican opponent Sharon Clahchischilliage with 55.9% of the votes according to unofficial results.
Leger Fernández has already served two terms in Congress, and her time has been marked by the catastrophic Calf Canyon/Hermit's Peak fire in 2021, which burned hundreds of miles of land and destroyed many homes. She has fought to pass and implement legislation to compensate families, because the fires were accidentally started by the U.S. Forest Service.
During her campaign, she highlighted her support for reproductive rights, for energy transition and her recent efforts to introduce a law that would give first time home buyers a substantial grant. Clahchischilliage is a member of the Navajo Nation. During the campaign she cast doubt on the link between carbon emissions and climate change and said she opposed abortion in all circumstances.
Republican Rebecca Dow takes House District 38 - By Daniel Montaño, KUNM News
Republican challenger Rebecca Dow has flipped state house district 38 with about a 500 vote lead over incumbent democrat Tara Jaramillo.
It was one of the most closely watched races in the state, and Dow managed to pull off what many of her republican colleagues were hoping for.
House district 38 had its boundaries redrawn in 2021 to incorporate parts of Sierra, Socorro, and Doña Ana counties. It’s now considered close to a 50/50 district, and Jaramillo only won the seat by a mere 123 votes in 2022, and Republicans had been eyeing to flip the closely contested seat.
Dow represented the district before its borders were redrawn, but she vacated the seat in a failed bid for governor.
In a forum with KRWG, Dow said she chose to run to break what she sees as a one-party rule in the Roundhouse.
“There is now a supermajority of what would be considered the radical left in Santa Fe, and the voice of southern New Mexico has been drowned out," she said.
In the lead up to the election, both candidates cited violent crime, behavioral health support, and affordable housing as important issues in the district.
Dow says the first priority to addressing housing is to reduce government regulation, particularly on construction and taxes.
“A few years ago there was a mandate that all new housing must support solar, When a new owner takes a home the tax is based off the new home price all these things drive up cost," Dow said.
She also said immigration is a key issue going forward, and has aligned with Trump policies.
“I think the very most important thing that is urgent and immediate right now is to close the border,” she said.
The campaign got turbulent when Jaramillo’s attorney sent Dow a cease and desist letter over an attack ad claiming Jaramillo had pocketed taxpayer money, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
In 2022, Dow herself was forced to pay more than $4,500 in fines for a civil complaint against her when she failed to disclose her financial ties to an organization receiving public money.
Conservationist Nathan Small holds onto southern NM House seat - Bryce Dix, KUNM News
Democratic Rep. Nathan Small will hold onto his House District 36 seat after winning a close rematch against Republican opponent Kimberly Skaggs, who ran against him in 2022.
According to unofficial results from the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office, voters decided to keep Small over Skaggs with 52% of the vote.
A self-described conservationist, Rep. Nathan Small currently works at the non-profit environmental organization New Mexico Wilderness Alliance and was recently appointed chair of the powerful Appropriations and Finance Committee.
Small also served on the Las Cruces City Council before his election to the District 36 seat in 2016.
Small is married to Xochitl Torres Small, a former member of Congress who represented New Mexico's 2nd District for a single term and is now the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Back in 2022, Republicans accused Xochitl Torres Small of using her federal position to improperly fundraise for her husband’s political aspirations. Republicans have declined to make any evidence publicly available to back up their claim.
Issues ranging from natural resource conservation and job creation have been a focus for Small during his reelection campaign.
Democrat Nava defeats Trujillo in Senate District 9 race - by Taylor Velazquez, KUNM News
Democrat Cindy Nava, a former DACA recipient and official in the Biden Administration, has won New Mexico Senate District 9 according to a race call by The Associated Press. Nava defeated Republican Audrey Trujillo, who also ran for Secretary of State in 2020 unsuccessfully and has since denied the results of the last presidential election.
Voters approved Nava over Trujillo with 55% of the vote according to unofficial results.
Nava is one of the first former DACA recipients to win public office. Her parents came to the U.S. when she was 7 years old. As a teenager, Nava advocated for policies to support other undocumented youth before the 2012 program created federal protections for those brought to the country illegally.
She was the first DACA recipient to receive a White House political appointment under the Biden Administration, where she worked in the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In Washington, she worked on issues like affordable housing and creating opportunities for first-time home buyers.
She says she decided to run for office in New Mexico to boost representation of the state’s Hispanic-majority population.
As a state senator, Nava says she will tackle high housing prices and homelessness, and work to bring a world-class education system to New Mexico.
Speaker Javier Martinez reelected to sixth term in the NM House - By Nash Jones, KUNM News
New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martinez will serve a sixth term in the Legislature. The only Democratic leader to face a challenge in this year’s election, Martinez’s constituents reelected him over Republican Bart Kinney Tuesday by 76.5 percentage points, according to unofficial results.
The longtime lawmaker was elected Speaker of the House last year and led his caucus through a special legislative session this summer, where the party’s lawmakers refused to sponsor several public safety proposals from Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and ultimately blocked them from being heard.
Martinez said at the time that he and his fellow Democrats had “deep concerns” about the proposals, which he warned could have a negative impact on New Mexicans, “especially the most vulnerable.” The proposals included expanding involuntary commitment for those deemed incompetent to stand trial, criminalizing panhandling in some cases, and increasing penalties for people convicted of felonies in possession of firearms.
Martinez says public safety is and has been an urgent priority for the Legislature, but that the special session proposals “were not fully baked.” The Legislature increased some penalties this year under Martinez’s leadership, including for second-degree murder and people accused of a second felony while awaiting trial. Last year, Martinez carried a bill to impose penalties for organized retail crime.
He vowed on the campaign trail to continue to invest in combating crime in his district and across the state, along with addressing its roots in housing, drug addiction, mental and behavioral health, and poverty.
Defeating Kinney, a staunch defender of the Second Amendment, Martinez said that while he considers New Mexico’s gun safety laws “strong,” there is more to be done. He said that could include exploring a ban on assault weapons.
Martinez ran on a record of tax reform under his speakership and as a member of the House Tax Committee, which he says targeted relief toward working families. After the Legislature created a state Child Tax Credit and expanded the Working Families Tax Credit and Low-Income Comprehensive Tax rebate, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy ranked New Mexico in the top 10 nationally for equitable state tax structures.
He also boasted reforms to the state’s budget process, which he says became more transparent under his leadership and that of Rep. Nathan Small, who he assigned to chair that committee over more moderate, longtime chair Patty Lundstrom.
Katie Duhigg keeps her seat in heavily redistricted Senate District 10 - Bryce Dix, KUNM News
Democratic incumbent Katie Duhigg will keep her seat in Senate District 10 after defeating her opponent, former Laguna Pueblo Police Chief Rudy Mora, according to an Associated Press race call.
Voters approved Duhigg over Mora with 58.5% of the vote according to unofficial results.
The win isn’t surprising – as the historically Republican dominated district saw a massive shift to Democratic voters after the approval of a controversial 2022 Senate redistricting map.
Duhigg participated in the redistricting process as a state Senator, though independent watchdog groups criticized the legislature for their lack of transparency and their failure to adopt a nonpartisan, citizen-led committee’s map recommendations.
However, before the district was redrawn, Duhigg proved herself by ousting Republican Candace Gould in 2020, ending a long-held Republican stint in the seat since 1997.
A lawyer by day, Duhigg currently sits as the chair of the Senate Rules Committee and vice chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Duhigg campaigned on several issues ranging from the state’s economic challenges to crime issues – touting her efforts to increase penalties for violent offenders and salary raises for police officers.
Heather Berghmans keeps Senate District 15 seat for Democrats- Jeanette DeDios, KUNM News
Candidate Heather Berghmans will keep Senate District 15 seat for Democrats after defeating her Republican opponent, senior industrial designer Craig Degenhardt, according to Associated Press.
Voters approved Berghmans over Degenhardt with 61.4% of the vote according to unofficial results.
Berghmans took a huge lead in fundraising in the race, bringing in over $209,000. Most of her funds came from the Democratic party and fellow senators like Peter Wirth and Katy Duhigg as well as Emily’s List, a national organization focused on electing Democratic women.
Degenhardt raised a little under $4,000, mainly coming from his own campaign and local businesses.
Berghmans has been a policy analyst at the Legislature for years and was the campaign finance director for a consulting firm working with the House Democratic Caucus.
Berghmans said she’s committed to working on public safety, reducing gun violence and expanding early childhood care.
With this win, Berghmans at 36 is now the youngest serving state senator.
Republican Gabe Ramos flips Senate District 28 Republican - By Alice Fordham, KUNM News
Republican Gabriel Ramos has won the election for state senate District 28, which covers Silver City and the Gila Wilderness.
Ramos defeated Democrat Chris Ponce by 55.5% of the vote according to unofficial results.
Ramos previously served as senator in the district, but as a Democrat. He switched parties after he became known for voting against a proposal to eliminate an old abortion ban from New Mexico's books, and was defeated in a primary race by a more progressive candidate, Siah Correa-Hemphill, who went on to win the election in 2022. It was the closest state senate race in the last election.
Sen. Correa-Hemphill stepped down after this year's primary, saying she couldn't afford to commute to Santa Fe to work as an unpaid legislator any more. She was replaced by Grant County Commissioner and retired police officer Ponce.
Ramos campaigned against the liberal values he said Sen. Correa-Hemphill represented, calling for policies like supporting the police and criticizing a state-supported reproductive health clinic set to open in Las Cruces.
Hernandez beats out Mark in open House District 4 race - By Jeanette DeDios, KUNM News
Democratic candidate Joseph Hernandez has won the House District 4 seat against Republican candidate Lincoln Mark.
Voters approved Hernandez over Mark with 55.8% of the vote according to unofficial results.
He succeeded longtime State Representative Anthony Allison, who decided to retire this year. Hernandez faced two opponents in the Democratic primary before coming out on top with more than a 17 point lead while the Republican primary was uncontested.
After redistricting in 2021, House District 04 grew to include a large area south of Farmington.
As a member of the Navajo Nation, Hernandez was born and raised in Shiprock and works as a community organizer.
In an interview with KUNM, he said infrastructure would be one of his first priorities, including upgrading roads, waterlines and electrical systems
Other top priorities for Hernandez include finding renewable energy solutions that are sustainable and affordable, providing accessible and quality health care and creating policies that will increase the amount of affordable housing.
Republican incumbent Luis Terrazas retains House District 39 seat- Jeanette DeDios, KUNM News
Republican incumbent Luis Terrazas retains House District 39 seat from Democratic challenger Gabby Begay.
Voters approved Terrazas over Begay with 53.6% of the vote according to unofficial results by Associated Press.
Terrazas had a steady lead in fundraising but his challenger Begay’s funds succeeded him with days leading up to election. Begay had over 202 thousand dollars leaving Terrazas trailing closely behind with 197 thousand dollars. Both candidates received funds from representatives from their political parties. But that didn’t seem to matter because Terrzas ended up on top.
Terrazas is from Grant County and owns a funeral company.
In the last regular legislative session, he sponsored numerous bills but only three passed dealing with public safety employees returning to work, meat inspections, and Smokey Bear license plates.
In Terrazas newsletter the New Mexico Insider, he outlined his main priorities. Those include curtailing crime by enforcing pre-existing laws and offering law enforcement resources they need, not raising taxes, and providing health care in rural areas.
Rio Rancho-area House District 23 reelects Republican House Whip Alan Martinez - By Nash Jones, KUNM
First elected in 2022 after House District 23 was redrawn to be more conservative, State Rep. Alan Martinez has been re-elected by Rio Rancho-area voters for a second term. He defeated first-time candidate Democratic challenger Frank Smith in Tuesday’s election by 12 percentage points, according to unofficial results.
Martinez is the No. 2 Republican in the New Mexico House as the minority whip. That prominence led him to significantly outraise Smith, who was already an underdog in a heavily red district where Martinez also has far more name recognition.
It’s not common for first-term lawmakers to be selected as party leaders. But Martinez says he came into Roundhouse with the expertise needed to do the job, since he’d served as chief policy director for the state’s Veterans’ Services Department for 15 years.
Smith had run in part on having more party independence than a Representative charged with whipping up Republican votes in the House. Though, Martinez told KUNM during the campaign that he doesn’t always hold the Republican line and is quick to talk with Democrats about key issues.
He highlighted his anti-abortion access and pro-Second Amendment positions as two he’d never waver on. Though, he said New Mexico should “take guns away from bad actors,” and disagrees with abortion being legislated one way or another.
Martinez, like many state legislative candidates, ran on combating crime, which he says is a priority for his constituents even though Rio Rancho has a lower crime rate than neighboring Albuquerque. He ran on a record of co-sponsoring two successful bipartisan bills this year to recruit and retain more law enforcement officers.
Education was another top issue for candidates in a state whose students struggle with persistently low test scores. Martinez ran on backing “school choice” policies that would allow New Mexico parents to take their tax dollars out of the public school system and spend it instead on private education. He also told KUNM he’s also open to the idea of dismantling the Public Education Department, which he sees as unnecessarily bureaucratic.
Democrat Matthew McQueen retains state House seat - Alice Fordham, KUNM News
Democratic Representative Matthew McQueen has won re-election in House District 50, which covers the area south of Santa Fe including Galisteo and Edgewood. A lawyer, he has served as the representative since 2015, and is the chair of the legislature's Water and Natural Resources Committee.
McQueen beat out Republican Ken Brennan with 61% of the vote according to unofficial results.
Recently, he sponsored a bill to raise the oil and gas royalty rates on state trust lands, so that fossil fuel extraction can generate more income for the state. And he wants to professionalize the legislature, meaning representatives would be paid for their work.
His challenger, Brennan, is mayor of Edgewood, which last year voted to join a handful of other municipalities in passing an ordinance citing a century-old federal law to restrict access to abortion. Last month, another town commissioner in Edgewood, Stephen Murillo, proposed a proclamation celebrating what he called the Christian heritage of the United States. That proposal was tabled but Mayor Brennan said it has some merits.
Representative McQueen called the proposals inappropriate and divisive.
Longtime NM Senator Craig Brandt to get another term in the Roundhouse - By Nash Jones, KUNM News
Longtime New Mexico state Sen. Craig Brandt has defeated Democratic challenger Amina Everett in the Rio Rancho-area district with 55% of the vote, according to unofficial results. The win was expected in the largely Republican district, where Brandt is well-known after serving it for more than a decade in the Roundhouse. The state Senator raised around 10 times as much as his challenger with backing from his party as the chamber’s minority whip.
Brandt ran on his years of experience over newcomer Everett, who is also a fairly new arrival to the area after moving to Rio Rancho for retirement. While also not born and raised in the district, Brandt said he’s as connected to the community as he could be, having lived there off-and-on since the 80s and raising his kids there.
He also says he’s well acquainted with how the state Legislature works. As the Republican whip, he says he has learned the Senate rules “really well” and is able to use them to his party’s advantage, since its side of the aisle is so heavily outnumbered. He boasts a number of successful challenges, like Calls of the Senate, which stall bills from being debated until all members arrive on the floor.
Education has long been a centerpiece of Brandt’s platform as a member of the Senate Education Committee and former Rio Rancho School Board member. He ran on not investing in public education without demanding more accountability from districts, schools and teachers to improve student outcomes.
He also ran on tackling crime. Though several of his recent public safety proposals failed to pass, he said he expects that to change in his next term. He plans to reintroduce a slightly tweaked bill to expand the state’s organized crime statute to go after gangs and human trafficking. He said he’s worked across the aisle to get the Democratic Party backing the bill needs, including from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. He also vowed to ramp up police presence in the district, where he says the resident-to-officer ratio has fallen too low.
BernCo voters approve millions in bonds – By Rod Cayton, CityDesk ABQ
Bernalillo County voters approved $40.5 million in bond spending, meant for improvements large and small in every corner of the county, according to unofficial election results.
The bond package consisted of six separate questions.
The parks and recreation question passed with 78% support as of 10 p.m on election night. It includes $11.7 million for improvements, new fields and infrastructure for the Mesa del Sol Regional Outdoor Sports Complex and replacement of the skate park at Los Vecinos Community Center.
Voters supported $10.7 million in transportation bonds, by a margin of 74% to 26%. Those projects include the third phase of the Bridge Boulevard construction project and improvements to Atrisco Vista Boulevard and Coors Boulevard.
Bonds for public safety facilities, fleet, and county buildings passed 74% to 26% to the tune of $8.8 million. That money will go toward planning, design and construction of a new early childhood education center, sustainability upgrades at county-owned buildings, roof replacements at two fire stations and other projects.
A request for $5.2 million for storm drainage and utilities was approved by 78% of voters. That money will clear the way for federal grants for drainage projects (many require a local match), lift station upgrades and a flood zone plan.
Voters also approved $2.5 million for libraries, 72% to 28%. That money will go toward capital improvements and expanding the materials collection at 19 library branches.
The smallest amount, $1.7 million for public housing, has been described by county officials as part of an overarching local strategy for combating homelessness. County commissioners are also seeking more than $100 million from the New Mexico Legislature.
The housing bond money will go toward improvements at the Seybold Village and El Centro housing complexes in the South Valley. The question had the lowest support in the early stage of counting ballots, with 69% of voters in favor.
County commissioners in public meetings this spring expressed a desire to prioritize projects that could be completed, or fully funded, with the bond money.
The county places a general obligation bond package every other year. The bonds are sold to investors, who are paid back with interest from county revenues.
Same-day registration ‘slowness’ in some NM counties has been resolved, says Secretary of State’s Office - By Nash Jones, KUNM News
The New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office said the same-day voter registration process is working normally at polling sites across the state after it experienced some “slowness” early Tuesday morning.
Spokesperson Alex Curtas told KUNM that the issues took place from around 8 to 9 a.m. in at least four counties, including Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Sandoval and Rio Arriba.
“And then we put some more resources behind that and, from what I understand, the slowness has been resolved,” he said.
Those resources included backing the process up with additional servers.
The Santa Fe County Clerk told KUNM it had rebooted a crashed system twice earlier in the day, which Curtas said his office wasn’t aware of.
Curtas said false rumors about same-day registration being down altogether began circulating online, which prompted his office to put a misinformation alert out on social media to clear things up.
He said the extra servers should provide enough capacity to keep registrations moving through any evening surges.
However, if there is a technical issue with the digital system, he said voters can fill out a paper registration and provisional ballot instead.
“And then, as long as you’re an eligible voter, once they review those provisional ballots, your vote will be counted,” he said.
This is the first presidential election since the state made same-day registration available. As of 1 pm., nearly 36,000 New Mexico voters had used the option.
Here’s what to expect in New Mexico on Election Night - Danielle Prokop, Leah Romero, Source New Mexico
Tuesday is the last day for New Mexico voters to cast a ballot in elections for political offices from the Roundhouse to the White House.
Polls are open throughout the state from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Anyone already waiting in line by 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote. All absentee ballots must be delivered to a local county clerk’s office by 7 p.m. in order to be counted.
Then the numbers will start to roll in. In New Mexico all election results posted are unofficial.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Results from election night become official after a process of canvassing and certifying the election is complete County officials verify results, and the county board certifies the election, and sends the results to the New Mexico Secretary of State within 10 days.
The State Canvassing Board – made up of the governor, secretary of state, and chief justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court – meet on the third Tuesday after the election to certify the canvas and declare the official election results for state and federal elections.
HOW RESULTS ARE RELEASED
Shortly after the polls close, the Secretary of State’s office will release unofficial results from early voting, and precincts will start reporting counts.
Just under half of registered voters cast their ballots by mail and in-person during the early election period from Oct. 8 through Saturday.
County poll workers can start verifying absentee ballots as soon as they are returned to the county clerk until five days before the election. The ballots can be inserted into vote counting machines ahead of election day, but the counts cannot actually be released until polls close on Nov. 5.
Vote counts may not completely finish on Election Day, for a few reasons.
THINGS THAT CAN DELAY RESULTS
Senate Bill 180, passed during the 2023 regular legislative session, updated several sections of the state’s election code. The law created an 11 p.m. deadline on election night to count absentee ballots. If there are still uncounted ballots, the absent voter election board, made up of poll workers, is required to recess. The board would then reconvene the next morning at 9:30 a.m.
This replaced the former procedure of continuing the count, often into early morning hours, until it was complete.
In every election there are usually a small number of ballots that need to undergo “curing” – the official term for a ballot that needs fixing by the voter in some small way to be considered complete and counted.
For example, some people forget their signature or last four digits of their social security number on absentee ballots before returning them. This process can take a few days, and counties have 10 days to address any ballots needing curing.
Finally, some races may be too close to call, triggering recounts required by law. An automatic recount is required when the margin between two candidates is less than a quarter of 1% for federal or statewide office. For other New Mexico offices, (like legislative races) the margin of less than 1% will require a recount.
All recounts must take place within 10 days, according to state law.
WHAT RACES IS SOURCE NM COVERING?
Source NM is covering races for president (see more below) all three congressional districts in the U.S House of Representatives, and one U.S. Senate seat, constitutional amendments and state lawmakers’ races in both chambers of the Roundhouse.
All of the federal races and statewide constitutional amendments are detailed in the 2024 Voter Guide.
There are four ballot questions which would amend the state constitution. This year’s proposals only need a simple majority vote to be approved, because they don’t affect any of the constitution’s sections that require a three-fourths’ majority to change.
There are 32 competitive races in the state House of Representatives, and 15 competitive races for seats in the state Senate.
MORE ON THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE
New Mexico has been a reliably blue state in presidential races for 20 years. Democrat Kamala Harris is projected to win the state’s five Electoral College votes over Republican Donald Trump.
How New Mexicans voted for president is expected to be clear by Tuesday night.
But that won’t be the case in every state, particular in some where the race for president is close. Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – two swing states – don’t allow mail ballots to be processed until Election Day, which could cause delays for counting the results.
Source NM and the rest of the States Newsroom network will rely on The Associated Press to call the winner of the presidential race, as it has done since 1848. The AP and other news organizations call races because while the Electoral College is set up for states to pick a president, there is no federal entity to count every citizen’s vote.
How does New Mexico ensure a secure Election Day? - By KUNM News
After a years-long election season, the 2024 general election is finally upon us. And while New Mexico is ranked No. 1 in the nation for election administration, according to MIT’s Elections Performance Index, there is unprecedented distrust in the election system nationwide in recent years. So, we here at KUNM would like to answer some questions and concerns you may have about how the state works to keep voting secure.
In order to ensure voter registration lists are up to date and only those who are qualified are able to cast a ballot, New Mexico is a member of the Electronic Registration Information Center. The group provides access to national databases to maintain accurate voter rolls.
To ensure your vote is kept secret, New Mexico uses paper ballots that are tabulated by machines that are not connected to the internet. To ensure an accurate count, those machines are tested prior to every election and an audit is connected afterwards. This involves randomly selecting a few races and precincts throughout the state and hand counting their results. Those numbers are then compared to the machine-counted results. Any discrepancies are thoroughly investigated.
All the results we’ll report on Election Night and in the coming days will be unofficial until they are certified. For state elections, certificates must be issued by the 31st day after the election. In the 2022 primary, the Otero County Commission voted against certifying the results, citing unfounded claims about voting machines without providing evidence. Following a request from Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, the state Supreme Court ordered the commission to comply with its legal duty and certify the results, which it did.
More than 660,000 New Mexicans – nearly half of those registered – voted early - By Danielle Prokop, Source New Mexico
More than 660,000 New Mexicans cast their ballots for candidates from local races to the nation’s highest office during the state’s early voting period that startedOct. 8 and ran through Saturday, the secretary state’s office said Monday.
About 530,000 of those ballots – or 80% – were cast in-person. The rest, or about 120,000 voters, were mailed, according to state data. The total from the early voting period accounts for about 48% of New Mexico’s registered voters, per the latest voter roll.
That doesn’t quite beat the record early turnout for 2020 Elections of nearly 800,000 voters. Another change from the pandemic election was the percentage of mail-in ballots, which accounted for 35% of votes cast in 2020, but less than a quarter of votes so far in this election.
Seven counties saw more than half of registered voters vote absentee or early, including Bernalillo, the state’s most populous, with more than 243,000 early votes. More than 50% of registered voters also turned out early in Grant, Lincoln, Los Alamos, Sandoval, Santa Fe and Valencia counties.
Republican candidates have challenged, without evidence, the validity of mail-in ballots or early votes in other states. It’s unclear if that has impacted Republican voters, but just over 75,000 fewer Republicans voted early in 2024 compared to 2020.
Democratic voters accounted for 46% of early voter turnout, compared to 36% from Republicans.
Statewide, the Democratic Party takes the largest slice of the electorate at 42%, while Republicans account for about one-third of registered voters. A quarter of voters decline to state any party affiliation, and Libertarians make up just over 1% while all other parties are just below 1% combined.
Tuesday will be the final day to vote for offices including president, U.S. Senate, Congress and the Legislature.