Early voting numbers break record in state

"Vote early; vote often."

That old saying about allegedly corrupt Chicago politics also applies in a more benign way to New Mexico - the state's early voting numbers broke a record this election with several days to spare.

According to a news release Sunday from the New Mexico Secretary of State's office, a total of 430,796 people voted early for the midterm general election through Saturday.

"Early voting around the country this year has produced record-breaking results, and New Mexico is no exception," Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver stated.

And those numbers aren't complete. Voters who choose to vote absentee can return those ballots to a county clerk's office or a voting precinct through Election Day.

Results from Election Day, which included a contested sheriff's race in Quay County, weren't available before press start. Results will be in the following week's edition of the Quay County Sun.

In Quay County, early voting numbers this year aren't going to match the total of 1,560 who vote early and the 325 who voted absentee during the 2012 presidential general election.

According to County Clerk Ellen White, the totals this year are 1,362 who voted early and 188 who voted absentee.

Still, 140 people voted early on Friday, a record for her office, White said.

White said Quay County contains 5,976 registered voters. The breakdown is 2,356 Democrats, 2,442 Republicans, 34 Libertarians, 35 minor parties and 1,109 declined to state a political party.

New Mexico, like many other western states, became an early adopter of early voting, starting it in 2002. White said it's gained acceptance, especially from rural voters and blue-collar workers who can't always get to a polling place on Election Day.

"It's more convenient," she said. "It's become more and more prevalent. It's really widespread."

According to a study by George Mason University, early voting also has gained acceptance in more corners of the United States. In 1992, just 7 percent of registered voters cast their ballots early. By 2016, that number was up to 36.6 percent. And the number of states with early voting has risen to 33.