The New Mexico general elections are coming up next month. In fact, early voting has already begun. New Mexico citizens have been able to partake in early voting since October 11th. The official election day for the New Mexico General Election is November 8th. Here at NM Cafe we believe that voting is super important. We would never tell you who to vote for but we are here to provide you with all of the information that you need to make an educated decision and exercise your constitutional right properly. 

First of all, early voting ends November 5th and the last day to submit an application for an absentee ballot is November 3rd. November 8th is the last day for same day voter registration. You can find all absentee ballot drop off locations and early voting locations with this link. 

There are many things to vote for in this election but some of the most important are for the Governor, U.S. House of Representatives (aka Congress), and Secretary of State. You have probably seen many ads of various sorts for many of the candidates who are as follows: 

Governor

• Democrat: Michelle Lujan Grisham and Howie C. Morales, Albuquerque and Silver City (I)
• Republican: Mark V. Ronchetti and Anthony L. “Ant” Thornton, Albuquerque and Sandia Park
• Libertarian: Karen Evette Bedonie and Efren Gallardo, Jr., Navajo, N.M., and Albuquerque

U.S. House of Representatives NM02

• Democrat: Gabriel Vasquez, Las Cruces
• Eliseo Luna (write-in), Roswell
• Republican: Yvette Herrell, Alamogordo (I)

Secretary of State

• Democrat: Maggie Toulouse Oliver, Santa Fe (I)
• Republican: Audrey Trujillo, Corrales
• Libertarian: Mayna Erika Myers, Hobbs

There are plenty of other categories, but those are the ones that have been receiving the most attention overall. If you would like to learn more about our statewide elections this article for the Las Cruces Bulletin.

There are also plenty of local elections that are  very much worth your time and attention such as County Sheriff, County Commission, and County Probate Judge. The candidates are as follows:

County Sheriff

• Democrat: Kim Stewart, Las Cruces (I)
• Republican: Byron Hollister, Las Cruces

County Commission

District 1

• Democrat: Christopher Schaljo-Hernandez, Las Cruces
• NOTE: Incumbent Democrat Lynn Ellins lost in the primary

District 3

• Democrat: Shannon Reynolds, Las Cruces (I)
• Republican: Patricia “Susie” Kimble, Las Cruces

County Probate Judge

• Democrat: Judith Ann Baca, Las Cruces

You can learn more about local elections here.

Along with electing officials into office, there are several state constitutional amendments that are worth your consideration. You can also vote for bonds both locally and statewide. All of these decide where your taxpayer money goes so DO NOT IGNORE THEM! Every amendment is very important for you to pay attention to. The previous link also provides information on those amendments and bonds. 

Remember that although sometimes it doesn’t feel like it, your voice and your vote matters. We highly encourage you to exercise your right to help decide who represents you and what happens with the taxes that you have paid. You can use this link to check if you are registered to vote. Happy voting.