Heath Haussamen / NMPolitics.net
Early in-person voting is now over. On Tuesday, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. People can return absentee ballots to their county clerk’s offices through 7 p.m. Tuesday.
More New Mexicans have already voted early and absentee this year than during the last two presidential elections in 2012 and 2008.
Through Saturday, the end of early, in-person voting, 464,354 New Mexicans had voted in person, according to data provided Sunday by the Secretary of State’s Office. And 57,687 people had returned absentee ballots by Saturday. In total, 522,041 New Mexicans, or 40.5 percent of all registered voters in the state, had already voted.
In 2008, 519,295 New Mexicans voted early and absentee. In 2012, it was 463,422. While absentee voting has dropped significantly since 2008, early in-person voting has surged.
With 12,297 absentee ballots yet to be returned, the number of New Mexicans who voted early and absentee this year is likely to grow. People can return absentee ballots to their county clerk’s offices through 7 p.m. Tuesday.
As NMPolitics.net previously reported, there’s been a shift in recent years toward viewing an election as a season, rather than a day. In 2008 and 2012, more people voted early in-person than showed up to vote on Election Day.
Whether more people are turning out to vote this year, or whether they’re just voting earlier, won’t be clear until we have final results from Election Day.
Democrats accounted for 49.4 percent of in-person voters through Saturday and 45.3 percent of returned absentee ballots. As of Nov. 3, 47 percent of registered voters in New Mexico were Democrats.
Republicans accounted for 35.4 percent of in-person voters through Saturday and 39.4 percent of returned absentee ballots. As of Nov. 3, 31 percent of registered voters in New Mexico were Republicans.
Independents and members of other parties accounted for 15.2 percent of in-person voters through Saturday and 15.3 percent of returned absentee ballots. As of Nov. 3, 22 percent of registered voters in New Mexico were independents and members of other parties.
Turnout was especially high in Santa Fe County, where 50.14 percent of registered voters had voted through Saturday, well above the state average of 40.5 percent. Doña Ana County, on the other hand, came in below the average, with 38.3 percent of registered voters having voted through Saturday.
Early in-person voting is now over. On Tuesday, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Click here to find out where you can vote.