By Mike Cook
The Doña Ana County Clerk’s Office has added a ninth early-voting site that will be available to county voters beginning Saturday, Oct. 16.
Early voting began Oct. 5 at the Doña Ana County Government Center (CGC), 845 N. Motel Blvd.
A new voting location at Mesilla Town Hall, 2231 Avenida de Mesilla in Mesilla, will join seven other locations around the county in opening to early voters starting Oct. 16. The other locations, in addition to Mesilla and CGC, are: Anthony City Hall, 820 New Mexico Highway 478 in Anthony, New Mexico; Delores C. Wright Education Center, 400 E. Lisa Drive in Chaparral; Hatch High School, 170 E. Herrera Road in Hatch; Sunland Park Doña Ana Community College, 3365 McNutt Road in Sunland Park, and three locations in Las Cruces (in addition to CGC): Las Cruces City Hall, 700 N. Main St.; Sonoma Elementary School, 4201 Northrise Drive; and NMSU Corbett Center, 1600 International Mall on the NMSU campus.
“We added Mesilla Town Hall as an early voting location this year because we wanted to make sure that each municipality with races on the ballot had a location for its voters to participate,” County Clerk Amanda López Askin said.
Early voting at CGC is 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday through Oct. 29, plus 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30.
Early voting at the alternate voting locations, including the new site in Mesilla, will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, from Oct. 16-30.
Absentee ballots will be mailed to voters who have approved applications beginning Oct. 5, the clerk’s office said.
Absentee ballot applications are available at NMVote.org. The deadline to submit an application is Thursday, Oct. 28. The deadline to return absentee ballots is 7 p.m. on election day, Tuesday, Nov. 2.
Anyone who is unable to access the website can visit the county clerk’s office, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday in CGC.
“Our staff is able to help with any voting needs, along with other services,” Lopez Askin said.
Voters can return absentee ballots through regular mail, at any polling location or at the clerk’s office. Pursuant to the New Mexico Election Code, caregivers and immediate family members may also return an absentee ballot on behalf of a voter, but only at the clerk’s office.
Those who are qualified can register to vote at any early voting location through Oct. 30 immediately prior to voting.
The Clerk’s Office continues to follow all federal, state and county pandemic-related guidelines, the clerk’s office said.
You can find your sample ballot at https://voterportal.servis.sos.state.nm.us/WhereToVoteDetail.aspx?tab=SampleBallot. Remember to turn your ballot over and cast votes on both sides.
Visit www.dacelections.com and www.donaana
county.org/clerk.