Voter turnout was high around the state on Tuesday, Nov. 5, as people cast ballots for their local leaders. In Albuquerque, even though there were contested City Council races, some folks said they mostly went to the polls to weigh in on bonds and taxes for public education.
Eldorado High School teacher Soraya Vincent cast her ballot at the school, which lies near the foot of the Sandia Mountains. She said schools like this one that have been around for a while are in dire need of repairs.
"Unless you are a teacher or a student who gets to sit in these uncomfortable classrooms with uncomfortable equipment, you really don’t know what the kids are going through and what the teachers are going through," she said. "So it’s very important for the community to rally behind our schools, and improve it for our kids' education."
Vincent didn’t hear any city councilors talking about education much, she says, so she doesn’t feel so invested in those races.
Chantel Grave de Peralta came out for bonds, too. She’s 19 and lives across town on the Westside.
"It’s my first time voting, so I wanted to vote for things that would benefit schools, and my sister, me, and all the children of New Mexico," she said.
The public school tax renewal on the ballot will fund upgrades to buildings and grounds. The bond also goes toward that, plus equipping buildings and purchasing computer hardware and software.
Voters approved all the bonds on the Albuquerque ballot and renewed taxes for schools and transportation.
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KUNM’s Hannah Colton contributed to this report.
