2020 SEPT 19 ISSUE: EARLY, ABSENTEE VOTING START OCT.6

You’d think that everyone running for office is a dim-witted scoundrel —or worse. But you’re probably not swayed by all the negative TV commercials because… well, you’ve likely already made up your mind. In the 2016 elections, 65 percent of voters in New Mexico cast their ballots before election day.

This year, even more citizens voting early are expected, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Whether voting by mail or in person, early voting begins October 6.

To vote early in Sandoval County, you can do so from October 6 to October 31, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 to 7, at the Sandoval County Administration Building D, 1500 Idalia Road, just west of Highway 528. You can vote early right here in Corrales from October 17 to October 31, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Corrales Community Center, 4326 Corrales Road, east of the Corrales Road-East La Entrada intersection behind the Senior Center.

Application forms for absentee ballots were mailed to all Corrales residents in early September by the Center for Voter Information, a 501(c)4 non-profit organization.  An absentee ballot can be requested online.

Below is a quick review of who’s running in local elections. As usual, this newspaper will publish candidate profiles in October.

• Vying for the presidency, of course, are Republican incumbent Donald Trump, Democrat Joe Biden and Libertarian Jo Jorgenson.
• U.S. Senate: Democrat Ben Ray Lujan and Republican Mark Ronchetti.
• U.S. Representative: Republican Michelle Garcia Holmes and Democrat Deb Haaland
• N.M. Senate District 9: Democrat Brenda McKenna and Republican John Clark
• N.M. House District 23: Republican Ellis McMath and Democrat Daymon Ely
• N.M. House District 44: Democrat Gary Tripp, Republican Jane Powdrell-Culbert and Libertarian Jeremy Myers
• N.M. Supreme Court Justice, Position 1: Republican Ned Fuller and Democrat Shannon Bacon
• N.M. Supreme Court Justice Position 2: Democrat David Thomson and Republican Kerry Morris
• N.M. Court of Appeals: Zach Ives (D), Barbara Johnson (R), Shammara Henderson (D); Gertrude Lee (R), Stephen Curtis (L); Jane Yohalem (D)
• District Judge, 13th Judicial District (retention): George Eichwald
• N.M. Public Regulation Commission: Republican Janice Arnold Jones and Democrat Cynthia Hall
• District Attorney, 13th Judicial District: Democrat Barbara Romo and Republican Joshua Joe Jimenez
• Sandoval County Clerk: Republican Lawrence Griego and Democrat Anne Brady Romero
• Sandoval County Treasurer: Democrat Jennifer Taylor and Republican Benay Ward
• Sandoval County Commission: Republican Jay Block and Democrat Leah Michelle Ahkee-Baczkiewicz

Candidate profiles for most of these can be found in the May 23, 2020 issue of Corrales Comment which reported on the June party primary elections.
Judges seeking reelection in the Thirteen Judicial District have been deemed worthy of retention by the N.M. Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission. Those are George Eichwald, Cheryl Johnston, Cindy Mercer, James Lawrence Sanchez and Allen Smith.