Quay sets early voting record

Quay County set a record for early voting numbers with more than week to go, and the county's clerk anticipates record turnout overall when all the votes are tallied Election Day next Tuesday.

By the end of the day Friday, the Quay County Clerk's Office had recorded 1,737 early votes, surpassing the previous record of 1,720 during the 2016 general election.

Adding 648 absentee ballots turned in so far Friday, the county's voter turnout already had passed the 39% mark.

According to records kept by County Clerk Ellen White, the county's record turnout is 65% in the 2008 general election. She said that mark is in jeopardy.

"I think it will be a record turnout for Quay County and statewide, and probably nationwide," White said during an interview in her office Friday afternoon. "The numbers are off the charts for early voters right now."

Quay County also set a one-day early voting record earlier this month, with 191 ballots cast.

Despite that, White said lines at her office never got more than four people deep.

"It's been very smooth. We've had record turnout, but the voters have been very patient, very kind," she said. "And, for the most part, we didn't have lines. People showed up staggered throughout the day. The longest wait to get a ballot has been about five minutes."

Early voting will continue this week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Saturday also is the last day to register to vote.

On Election Day on Tuesday, polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Here are Quay County's election centers:

n Tucumcari Convention Center, 1500 W. Route 66 Blvd.;

n House Community Center, 110 S. Apple St.;

n Forrest Fire Department, 209 Highway 210;

n San Jon Community Center, 2357 Highway 469;

n Logan Civic Center, 100 N. Second St.

A voting center will not open at Nara Visa because the village lacks the required high-speed internet. White said most of those residents were mailed an absentee ballot. Others, she said, voted early or announced their intent to vote at another location.

White said registered voters who choose to cast their ballots on Election Day should be prepared for COVID-19 regulations at voting centers.

"They need to be prepared to social distance and wait in a line. We are required to try to keep people six feet apart," she said. "We're encouraging face masks. That's not something we can enforce, but since these are public buildings, law enforcement certainly can enforce it."

Masks and hand sanitizer will be available at voting centers on Election Day.

White also added that any county resident can vote on Election Day at any election center in the county.

She said anyone who hasn't mailed an absentee ballot should refrain from doing so, as it may not show up at the clerk's office on time. Instead, such a voter should bring his or her absentee ballot personally to her office at 300 S. Third St. in Tucumcari, including on Election Day before 7 p.m.

White said the reasons early voting is so heavy are multi-pronged.

"I think everybody's ready for a change, one way or the other," she said. "They're dissatisfied with the political parties as a whole."

She said she also overheard talk from voters about dissatisfaction with judges, including the New Mexico Supreme Court upholding the Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's authority with COVID-19 restrictions.

"There's been a lot of conversation over the judicial branches, both state and local," White said. "A lot of the voters have done their research; they worked hard to come to a conclusion with how they wanted to vote."

Another factor in the high early turnout was false social-media posts that claimed the governor would shut down polling sites on Election Day because of the pandemic. Both White and the New Mexico Secretary of State have dismissed those reports.

"That created a stir, and people wanted to vote sooner than later because of the mistrust they have of that process," White said of the rumors. "People were anxious to get their votes cast and counted."

Wanting to avoid crowds during the pandemic was a motivator for many voters who requested an absentee ballot, but so were the rumors that Election Day polls would be closed.

"I think a lot of people didn't think we'd have polling places open on Election Day, and they thought the method they could vote was absentee," White said.

"But when they realized we were early voting and polling places were going to be open, a lot people came on in and voted even though they had an absentee ballot or had requested one."

White said though the number of absentee ballots in the county is high, she anticipated no problems counting them in a timely manner. About 1,300 county residents voted absentee during the primary election, and final voting results were available before 8 p.m.

She said the county's absentee-ballot board would convene on Friday, Monday and Election Day to count those ballots.

Despite the heavy turnout, Quay County itself has few contested races. Most of those were settled during the primary.

Those with questions about the election should call White's office at (575) 461-0510.