Evan Chandler
A voter uses a secure drop-box to return an absentee ballot.
Voters who requested absentee ballots by mail before the Oct. 22 deadline should drop their ballots from this point forward, according to Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark, and remember not to vote naked.
Santa Feans still have the opportunity to make their voices heard, but Clark says it’s risky to return absentee ballots through the mail at this point.
“It’s easier to drop them, and we’ll preprocess them so the results are ready on Election Night…If there’s a problem with the ballot, we’ll still have the time to cure it,” the county clerk says. “If you wait and mail it, then we don't get that ballot back until the last couple of days, and even if we text or email you or call you, you may not have time to cure your ballot…Now that the mail is busier and our local post office is actually understaffed, we are seeing some delays in reliable deliveries within the time window.”
Clark warns voters to ensure that, when they drop their ballots, those ballots aren’t naked. A “naked ballot” refers to a mail-in absentee ballot that is filled out and dropped without a return envelope, therefore rendering election officials unable to identify the voter or count the vote, she says. If you returned a naked ballot, reach out to the Santa Fe County Clerk’s Office to correct it.
“People are very anxious, so when something happens, their response is like an 11, and I just want to remind people that these are your neighbors. They only get four hours of training, but they really are motivated to make sure you vote,” Clark says. “If there’s a problem, it's going to be okay, we're going to make sure you can vote. There's always a solution. You just have to reach out and let us know to help you.”
Early voting is in full swing in Santa Fe County, with more than 25,000 votes already cast, according to the New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. Additional polling locations opened Oct. 19. Registered Democrats greatly outpace Republicans in early turnout data, though party affiliation does not reveal how those individuals actually voted. 18,690 Democrats, or 72.8% of early voters, cast a ballot, in comparison to 3,386 Republicans.
Looking at the statewide level, early voting data shows registered Democrats as the top voting bloc so far, with registered Republicans following. According to the New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State, 246,469 people have voted in the 2024 general election as of the end of the day on Oct. 22—124,417 Democrats and 87,610 Republicans. More than 30,000 voters are not affiliated with a political party, according to the data.
Voters can return absentee ballots at secure drop-off locations open 24 hours a day. Find the full list below:
Santa Fe County Clerk’s Office, 240 Grant Ave
Santa Fe County Fairgrounds, 3229 Rodeo Road*
Santa Fe Community Convention Center, 119 S. Federal St*
Southside Library, 6599 Jaguar Drive*
Nancy Rodriguez Center, 1 Prairie Dog Loop*
La Cienega Community Center, 136 Camino San Jose
Pojoaque Satellite Office, 5 W. Gutierrez Ste. 9, Pojoaque Pueblo Plaza, 17839 US-84
Max Coll Corridor Center, 16 Avenida Torreon (Eldorado)*
SFC Edgewood Satellite, 114 Quail Trail*
(*) = Drive-up drop box
INFOBOX: VOTING TURNOUT AS OF OCT. 22
Statewide:
124,417 Registered Democrats
1,425 Libertarian
851 Other
87,610 Registered Republicans
32,166 Declined-to-State Voters
TOTAL: 246,469
Santa Fe:
18,690 Registered Democrats
110 Libertarian
69 Other
3,386 Registered Republicans
3,413 Declined-to-State voters
TOTAL: 25,668
