Editors Note 10/25/23: A prior version of this article stared the SUB won’t be open for voting on Election Day, Nov. 7, but it will in fact be open. The state also accepts absentee ballots till Nov. 7.
Election Day is on Nov. 7 and knowing where and how to cast your ballot is just as important as knowing who you’re casting that ballot for.
There are three major ways to vote – through an absentee ballot (also known as mail-in ballot), voting on Election Day or voting early.
Absentee ballots in New Mexico require an application to state where the ballot should be sent. The last day to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 24. Past that, your civic duty must be performed in person.
With an absentee ballot, it must be filled out as you would at a polling location, then mailed or hand-delivered to your county clerk’s office by Nov. 7.
The locations to vote in-person are different if you are voting early or on Election Day. There are 72 election voting convenience centers (VCCs), ranging from shopping centers to schools to plazas, but only 20 VVCs are open for early voting.
Early voting starts Saturday, Oct. 21 and ends Saturday, Nov. 4. All establishments open at 10 a.m. and close between 5 - 7 p.m.
The University of New Mexico has an early voting center inside the Student Union Building at Louie’s Lounge, opening at 10 a.m. and closing at 7 p.m. This location is open for early voting and on Election Day.
The closest VVC to campus not at the SUB that is open on Election Day is at Bandelier Elementary School. All Election Day locations are open from 7 a.m - 7 p.m.
Some early voting centers allow you to cast your ballot on Election Day as well, but with 52 more locations opening up, there will likely be a more convenient VVC nearby.
Simply find the nearest VCC within your zip code using the Voter Portal on the Secretary of State’s website and it will indicate where to vote. It’ll give you a map to the VCC, the address of the location and where to park.
Information on where your county clerk office is, obtaining your absentee ballot and finding the closest voting location to you can all be found on NMVote.org.
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Finding the information will take no more than five minutes or – if you’re between classes – you can vote on campus during the early voting phase.
If the polls close and you are still in line, stay in line.
Grace Egan is a copy editor at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com.
