Early voting has begun in New Mexico for the General Election on November 3d. In Downtown Albuquerque on Wednesday, participants held signs encouraging motorists to vote early.
Members of Indivisible Albuquerque waved signs on Lomas between 4th and 15th street near the Bernalillo County Clerk’s Annex where voters could fill out their ballots.
The local volunteer-led activist group seeks to educate the public on federal, state, and local government issues.
For Rosa Weiss, voting has become a family tradition.
“I work in the polls with my son, who's in his 40s,” she said. “He voted for the first time with me, and now he's been working in the polls with me for years. It's a thread that runs through our lives with so much pride.”
Her grandson just turned 18 and will be voting for the first time this year.
Michelle Schofield from Albuquerque said she’s not fearful of making her voice and her vote heard.
“I wanted to not do my mail-in ballot and actually physically show up, so I know I was seen, I was counted, and whatever. And I didn't have to worry about that fear that's been spread, that 'oh, we're going to screw up the mail-in ballots, or we're going to be at the polls on poll day, right, on election day, and we're going to threaten you.' So eliminate that,” she said. “Come out early. Vote in person. That's all you got to do.”
Dean Strasberger said people should be informed on all the candidates.
“Know the positions, including the judges, including the bond issues, know what you're doing before you vote, but please vote, even if you don't vote for our side. Please vote. Make your voices heard,” he said.
Indivisible Albuquerque will continue to hold events like this throughout the month leading up to the Nov. 3 election. More voting locations will open starting Oct. 17.
Learn more about the candidates running this general election with KUNM’s Candidate Guide and find out who's on your ballot.
Support for this coverage comes from Thornburg Foundation.
