(updated 11/4/2008)
The Voters' Guide is 48 pages long this year. You can view it online, in its entirety or in parts, or download for further study.
A General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. A General Election is held the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in each even-numbered year. This General Election will fill the federal offices of President, United States Senator, United States Representative, and districted New Mexico offices and county positions.
If you are a citizen of the United States, 18 years of age or older on Election Day, and registered to vote, you may vote in this General Election.
If you have a question concerning the election or voter registration please phone your County Clerk:
Bernalillo County Clerk's office 468-1291
Sandoval County Clerk's office 867-7574
Valencia County Clerk 866-2080
The Voters' Guide is also available on the Internet at www.lwvcnm.org/elections/.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| October 7, 2008: | Voter registration closes. Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. in the County Clerk's office. |
| October 7 - 31, 2008: | Absentee ballots mailed out. |
| October 7 - November 4, 2008: | In-person absentee voting at County Clerks’ offices during regular business hours. |
| October 18 - November 1, 2008: | Early in-person voting at the alternate sites. In most jurisdictions, hours are Tuesday through Friday from noon to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., but local variations may exist. |
| November 4, 2008: | Polls open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Absentee ballots must be received by the County Clerk's office by 5:00 p.m. |
You must be registered to vote with the County Clerk by Tuesday, October 7, to vote in the November 4 General Election. If you are not already registered to vote, you may obtain a voter registration application form from various places, including the County Clerk, all public libraries, and the Motor Vehicle Division offices.
When is identification required? You need to present identification when you register to vote only if you are registering for the first time in your county and you register by mail. If you do not submit the proper identification, you will be asked to provide it before you vote in your first election. Accepted identification, if you are registering for the first time by mail, includes a copy of any current and valid photo ID, a utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or any other government document that shows your current and valid name and address. If you do not provide the required identification before Election Day or if you request an absentee ballot, you will be required to show identification at the polls or provide copies when you mail your ballot.
Any person qualified to vote may vote by absentee ballot. Apply for an absentee ballot by phone or mail at your County Clerk's Office:
Bernalillo County Clerk's office, 468-1291,
One Civic Plaza NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102
Sandoval County Clerk's office, 867-7574,
711 Camino Del Pueblo, Bernalillo, NM 87006
Valencia County Clerk's office, 866-2080,
444 Luna Ave., Los Lunas, NM 87031.
The County Clerk's office will verify the application information and mail your absentee ballot to you. Friday, October 31, is the last day the county clerk's office will mail out absentee ballots. The ballot contains instructions for completion and return.
If you apply for an absentee ballot and receive it, you must vote that ballot. You will not be issued another ballot if the original ballot is destroyed, discarded, or delivered to the polls unvoted. If you apply for, but do not receive, the absentee ballot, you may go to the county clerk's office until Monday, November 3, and apply for a replacement ballot. You may also go to your polling place and vote on a provisional ballot in lieu of an absentee ballot on Election Day.
Your completed ballot must be received in the county clerk's office no later than 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, November 4. Please note that no absentee ballot packet delivered in person will be accepted when delivered by someone other than the voter who signed the packet or a member of the voter's immediate family or a caregiver.
When voting early, your absentee ballot will be placed in a secrecy envelope and counted with the rest of the absentee ballots on election night.
Beginning October 7 you may vote "absentee in person" at the following county clerk's office locations, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, November 1, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bernalillo County
Bernalillo County Clerk's Office Annex, 620 Lomas NW (6th and Lomas), Albuquerque
Sandoval County
Sandoval County Voting Machine Warehouse, 800 South Hill Road, Bernalillo
Valencia County
Valencia County Courthouse, 444 Luna Ave., Los Lunas
From Saturday, October 18 through Saturday, November 1 you may vote early at alternative voting sites throughout the county where you are registered to vote. The hours are:
Tuesday through Friday, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 18 and 25 and November 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The following Early Voting locations are open beginning Saturday, October 18.
Write-in voting is permitted on either the electronic ballot or on the paper ballot as long as the person you vote for is qualified as a write-in candidate. You must write the candidate's first and last names on the ballot.
You will be issued a provisional ballot if your name does not appear on the roster at your polling place or if you are a first-time voter who registered by mail and you do not provide the required identification.
When you present yourself at your polling place for early voting or voting on Election Day, you are required to give one of the following forms of voter identification:
Voters are obligated to report voting offenses to the County Clerk, the District Attorney, or the Secretary of State. Voting offenses are:
On November 4 the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Do not wear campaign buttons, candidate T-shirts, or anything that could suggest that you are "campaigning" for any candidate or party! Campaigning is forbidden within 100 feet of any polling place.
To find your voting location or precinct number you can