Expanded early voting opens Saturday across New Mexico
Oct. 18—Expanded early voting is set to begin on Saturday across New Mexico, meaning voters in Santa Fe County now have 10 sites where they can cast ballots as the Nov. 5 election draws closer.
Early voting got underway on Oct. 8 at the County Clerk's Office in downtown Santa Fe. Local election officials have already been reporting substantial turnout in a key election year in the state, with all 112 seats in the state legislature on the ballot.
The first day of early voting in Santa Fe generated a big wave of voters, with at least 900 voters turning out on that day alone as enthusiasm ran high. Expanded early voting opens up nine locations throughout Santa Fe County to voters. In-person early voting will be open through Nov. 2.
As of Friday, about 104,800 New Mexicans have voted so far statewide, including 54,128 registered Democrats and 36,937 Republicans, according to the latest information from the Office of the Secretary of State. Of roughly 108,000 eligible voters, about 10,600 people have cast ballots in Santa Fe County since early voting began on Oct. 8.
What's on the ballot
While most local races on county voters' ballots were decided in the June Democratic primary, the presidential battle between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump is expected to be a draw for local voters. The handful of polls show Harris leading New Mexico by about 5 to 10 points.
A U.S. Senate race is also playing out this year, pitting Democratic incumbent Martin Heinrich against Republican challenger Nella Domenici, whose father, Pete Domenici, served 36 years in the Senate. Polls have put Heinrich ahead by about 10 points.
Democratic U.S. Reps. Melanie Stansbury in the 1st Congressional District and Teresa Leger Fernández in the 3rd Congressional District are considered front-runners with comfortable leads. Plenty of attention will be on the 2nd District, however, as Democratic Rep. Gabe Vasquez fights to keep his seat in a competitive rematch with Yvette Herrell, a former congresswoman who wants the seat back.
All 112 seats in the Legislature are up for election, although many in heavily Democratic Northern New Mexico are uncontested and Democrats are almost certain to maintain control over both the state Senate and House.
