Election Information (US)

UPCOMING ELECTIONS

Request an absentee/mail-in ballot through October 20, 2020, 5PM. 

Absentee voting begins October 6. Completed ballots should be MAILED BY October 27, 2020, to ensure ballots arrive by 7:00PM on Election Day. (See more info on the State of NM Absentee Voting FAQ.)

Bernalillo County Early Voting: October 17-31, 2020, Mon-Sat, 10AM-7PM

Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2020, 7AM-7PM

REGISTRATION

• Check to see if you are registered to vote in NM. If you aren’t, you can register up to 28 days prior to an election. NM now allow voters to register ONLINE! - it's so easy!

VOTING

• See details about voting in NM on the NM Secretary of State Voter Information Portal or the Bernalillo County Clerk’s Election & Voting webpage or the City of Albuquerque's Voting & Election page.

• New Mexico Voter Information Portal (NM Secretary of State) Learn about election dates, voter registration, voting (and view sample ballots), etc.
• Bernalillo County Elections & Voting Information (County Clerk's Office) See your sample ballot, find out where you can vote, learn if you are registered and which districts you are in, and more!
• City of Albuquerque, Voting and Elections
• League of Women's Voters of New Mexico / League of Women Voters of Central New Mexico  Nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.  Their website provides a variety of information about elections and voting in NM.
• Vote411.org New Mexico Voting Guide (League of Women Voters)

Endorsements/Recommendations/Reviews

• New Mexico Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission (JPEC) Reviews judges running for retention (not first time judicial candidates). Run by the State of NM Administrative Office of the Courts. 
• ​Albuquerque Journal endosrments/editorials
• Santa Fe New Mexican opinions/editorials

Voter Resources and General Election Information

• Voting & Elections (USA.gov) Answers to common questions about voting in the US (from how to register to vote to how the electoral college works in presidential elections). 
• Resources for Voters (US Election Assistance Commission) A central resource for election information with FAQs, voter registration links, election calendars, voter's guides in many languages, etc.

Candidate Information

(See also the "Campaign Finance and Law" page of this webguide as well as other links on this page.)

• Vote Smart a non-partisan, non-profit that gathers and publishes data on political parties and candidates in the US. Includes biographical information on candidates, voting records, issue positions, interest group ratings, public statements, and campaign finances.
• On the Issues: Every Political Leader on Every Issue American non-profit providing non-partisan information for voters on candidates based on the issues. 

Political Fact Checking Websites

• Factcheck.org (Annenberg Public Policy Center, U Penn) A nonpartisan organization, that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics.  It monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. 
• Politifact fact-checking website, run by the Tampa Bay Times, that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others who speak up in American politics.

Voter Education and Election Reform Organizations

• League of Women Voters nonpartisan political organization founded in 1920 to impact national, state, and local issues and legislation through grassroots organization.
• FairVote as a reform catalyst, develops and promotes practical strategies to improve elections at the local, state, and national levels. 
• Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) established in 1987 to ensure that debates, as a permanent part of every general election, provide the best possible information to viewers and listeners. Includes historical information and transcripts.

This guide is indebted to the Georgetown University Library and the Albuquerque Public Library webpages on elections!

The Electoral College

• U.S. Electoral College (National Archives and Records Administration) Information on the Electoral College and its involvement in presidential elections including: historical information, links to voting resources, etc. 
• The Electoral College:  How It Works in Contemporary Presidential Elections (Congressional Research Service) An authoritative 6 page report prepared for the US Congress explaining the process the Electoral College utilizes in the US presidential election.