Doña Ana County voters turn out early; officials brace for historic election

On the second day of early voting, the Doña Ana County Government Center was buzzing with activity.  

A steady stream of residents, most accompanied by a spouse or a friend, walked into the county building over to the polling site, received a congratulatory “ding” as their ballot was accepted, and left.    

The orderly process starkly contrasts with what is undoubtedly an extraordinary election; and the voters who spoke to the Las Cruces Bulletin know it.  

“We're either voting for democracy or against democracy,” one resident, who declined to give her name, told a reporter.  

“I want to make sure (my vote) is counted,” another voter, who also declined to give her full name, said. “They say to get out and vote early. So, I'm here early. The last election, it wasn't right, so we got to make sure we do it right.” 

Concerns of voter fraud are one of many factors making the 2024 elections in Doña Ana County unique. Notably, there is no evidence of wide-scale voter fraud in the U.S., despite that narrative being pushed by prominent national Republicans, including former President Donald Trump. Yet polls show it’s still a significant issue for some voters this cycle.  

According to an October PBS News/NPR/Marist poll, about 58 percent of Americans – 86 percent of Republicans and 33 percent of Democrats – say they are either very concerned or concerned that voter fraud will occur this year.  

On the other side of the ballot box, election officials fear they will be the target of threats, attacks and abuse. According to national surveys, incidents like that have risen in the last decade, and local officials have reported similar experiences. Threats of violence, conspiracism and high turnout are a hefty burden to lay at the feet of Doña Ana County’s army of election workers.  

But it's a burden their leader, Deputy County Clerk Caroline Zamora, says they are prepared for.  

Deputy clerk oversees 2024 election

“I love democracy, and I love what our team does. It feels like such a great responsibility and such a great honor that I get to be part of the process,” Zamora said in a recent interview with the Bulletin. “And I have so much trust in our staff. I really do. They've done such a great job, and I think it's going to be a great election.”  

After joining the clerk’s office in November 2022, this will be the first general election Zamora has overseen. The county clerk typically oversees elections, but since Clerk Amanda López Askin is on the ballot this year, overseeing the elections falls to Zamora.  

Before joining the clerk’s office, Zamora worked as a communications professional and realtor. But from an early age, Zamora said she’s had a strong interest in politics.  

“I'm actually named after a Kennedy,” Zamora said, referring to Caroline Kennedy, the U.S. ambassador to Australia and daughter of President John F. Kennedy. 

While obtaining a master's degree from New Mexico State University, Zamora focused her studies on political communication. The deputy clerk position was a natural fit, she said. As she became familiar with the office's inner workings, her confidence in local election integrity grew.  

“I was confident before, but my confidence increased exponentially, knowing the processes that we have in place,” she said.  

Anticipating large turnout

Still, the 2024 general election is a big moment for Zamora and the clerk's office.  

“We're expecting and anticipating that this will probably be the largest election we've ever had,” Zamora said.  

Several indicators are driving this possibility.  

For one, Doña Ana County has seen high voter engagement when Trump is on the ballot, mirroring a national trend. In 2016, the New Mexico Secretary of State’s office said 71,084 county residents cast a vote, about 62 percent of all eligible voters.  

In 2020, when many voters utilized absentee voting to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19, the Secretary of State said that 82,959 residents cast their ballots, about 64 percent of eligible voters.  

The midterm years of 2018 and 2022 also had a high turnout.  

However, unlike in 2020, fewer voters will likely use absentee ballots and choose to vote in person instead.  

High early voting returns are also a strong indicator of high turnout. By Oct. 11, the secretary’s office said 4,943 people had voted in Doña Ana County. The same data set broke down that data by party, revealing that 2,504 Democrats,1,690 Republicans, 699 independents (formally, “decline to state”), 31 Libertarians and 8 others had voted.  

Despite the potential historic turnout, the clerk's office said it was confident in its existing process but planned to overstaff poll workers ahead to deal with high turnout.  

“As far as our internal processes, it really doesn't change from election to election, whether it's a (municipal election) or a big presidential year, the process for us really doesn't change,” Zamora said, adding that high-traffic locations like city hall or the county building will receive more staffing than usual.  

High turnout – especially for high absentee voting – could delay election results, depending on how close some races are.  

State law mandates that the absentee board, which counts the number of absentee ballots, must halt operations at 11 p.m. on election night if they’re finished before resuming the next day.

“By then there, they've already worked 16 hours that day,” Zamora said. “We'd rather them not be exhausted and make mistakes.”

Early voting expands from the county building to locations across the county on Oct. 19. Early voting locations open up in Las Cruces, Mesilla, Hatch, Sunland Park and Anthony before early voting concludes on Nov. 2. 

The last day to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 22. Ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. Nov. 5. 

On election day, the county will staff 42 locations open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.