More than 38 percent in Doña Ana County vote early

LAS CRUCES - Doña Ana County residents will go to the polls Tuesday to decide races ranging from U.S. president to state lawmakers to the county's district attorney.

After a nearly month-long early-voting period that was set to end Saturday evening, Tuesday will be registered voters' last chance to cast a ballot in the 2016 general election. Election day voting runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 40 voting convenience centers across the county.

In all, 113,818 voters are registered in Doña Ana County. And a total of 43,460 of them — more than 38 percent — had voted through the close of voting Friday evening, according to the county clerk's office.

County Clerk Lynn Ellins said he thinks more voters will turn out this election cycle than during the last.

"I'm guessing we're going to get 75,000," he said.

That would be about a 13 percent increase over 2012, the last presidential election cycle, when about 66,500 voters cast ballots in Doña Ana County, according to county records.

A contentious presidential race between Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has raised the profile of Tuesday's election. Both campaigns have paid attention to New Mexico in recent weeks with visits by surrogates. And last week, Trump running mate Mike Pence campaigned at the Las Cruces International Airport, drawing both supporters and protesters to the event. In addition, a former New Mexico governor — Gary Johnson, a Libertarian — is among the third-party presidential candidates running.

Local voters also will weigh in on several hotly contested state lawmaker races, as well as a bid between incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, Republican, and Merrie Lee Soules, Democrat, for the 2nd Congressional District seat. Two candidates — Democratic incumbent Mark D'Antonio and Republican challenger Brad Cates are vying for the 3rd Judicial District Attorney's seat. Two of three county commission seats on the ballot are contested. And residents also will decide who they want to serve as county treasurer and county clerk for the next four years.

Residents can cast their ballots at any one of the 40 voting convenience centers throughout the county. They don't have to visit a polling place that's specific to the precinct in which they live. Also, anyone who's received an absentee ballot but hasn't turned it in has until 7 p.m. Tuesday to submit it, county clerk's officials said. Such ballots may be handed in at the polls.

Ellins said early voting went well, and the county clerk's office and poll workers are ready for the big day.

"It's been amazingly smooth," he said.

The city of Las Cruces is offering free bus rides on Election Day to allow people to reach polling sites.

'Sprinting to that finish line'

Local parties, as well as many candidates, are engaged in a last-minute flurry of campaigning that will continue through election day.

Democratic Party of Doña Ana County Chairwoman Liz Rodriguez-Johnson said early voting turnout was strong in the county, a positive sign. The party has been focusing upon encouraging Hispanics to turnout. She said it has done a "no more trompadas" radio ad in recent days, which plays upon the similar sounds between the Spanish word for "punch," and Trump's name.

"We're getting really good reception with that," she said. 'I had some buttons done; they just flew out the window."

The Democratic party has poll watchers and attorneys lined up to monitor election day, Rodriguez-Johnson said. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., was in Las Cruces on Friday for a campaign event. And candidates have continued canvassing their neighborhoods, she said.

"They're not going to stop," she said. "They're going to be knocking on doors until the day-of."

Susan McGonnell, secretary for the Doña Ana County Republican Party, said her organization is focusing upon phone banking to urge voters to turnout in the final days before Tuesday.

"We're calling every registered voter, regardless of party affiliation, and encouraging them to get out to vote," she said. "We've got the call center going. We're just sprinting to that finish line."

McGonnell said the party is also doing get-out-the-vote robocalls. She said it also has poll watchers and an attorney to make sure any hang-ups on Election Day are "resolved quickly."

"We can honestly say as a (local) party and as candidates and as the state party, we're leaving it all out there on the field," she said.

McGonnell said she believes the attention paid by Trump and his campaign, including the visit by Pence, to the state show "how very important New Mexico is," and voters are engaged.

Campaign trail nears an end

Democrat Isabella Solis is running against Republican William Webb for the Doña Ana County Commission District 4 seat, which covers the East Mesa.

Solis said during her campaign leading up to the general election, she handed out one batch of 2,000 informational cards about her candidacy. She ordered another round of about 1,200 cards and had about 300 left on Friday. She planned to continue walking neighborhoods, though she's found that a lot of residents in the district already have voted.

"I think Monday will be my last day, unless I get rid of my cards before then — and if the weather holds up," she said. "I'm excited and ready for Nov. 8."

Webb said he does believe Trump's campaign stops in New Mexico will help Republican turnout overall and boost down-ticket races. In District 4, Webb said the contest is competitive.

"I feel real confident about our race up here," he said. "We're a lot tighter (of a race) than countywide."

Webb said he's not walking the district any longer because "at this point, it's really over."

"We've worked real hard for a long time," he said. "I'm ready for it to be over, like everybody else."

Among registered voters in the county, 52,539 (46 percent) are Democrats; 30,853 (27 percent) are Republicans; 25,836 (23 percent) are declined-to-state a party, commonly called independents; and 4,590 (4 percent) are other parties.

Diana Alba Soular may be reached at 575-541-5443, dalba@lcsun-news.com or @AlbaSoular on Twitter.

Editor's note: The voter turnout number as of the close of business Friday have been corrected from an original publication of this article.

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If you vote

What: 2016 Election Day

When: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday

Where: any of 40 polling sites across Doña Ana County

Info: Doña Ana County Clerk's Office — 575-647-7428; www.donaanacounty.org

Polling places

• Anthony Elementary School, 600 N. Fourth St., Anthony, N.M.
• Berino Elementary School, 92 Shrode Road, Berino
• Camino Real Middle School, 2961 N. Roadrunner Parkway, Las Cruces
• Chaparral Middle School, 290 Lisa Drive, Chaparral
• Corbett Center Student Union, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces
• Del Cerro Community Center, 180 La Fe Ave., Vado
• Desert Hills Elementary School, 280 N. Roadrunner Parkway, Las Cruces
• Desert View Elementary School, 1105 Valle Vista St., Sunland Park
• Doña Ana Community Center, 5745 Ledesma Drive, village of Dona Ana
• Doña Ana Community College Hatch Learning Center, 219 E. Hill St., Hatch
• Doña Ana County Government Center, 845 N. Motel Blvd., Las Cruces
• East Picacho Elementary School, 4450 N. Valley Drive, Las Cruces
• Fairacres Elementary School, 4501 W. Picacho Ave., Las Cruces
• Frank O'Brien Papen Center (Mesilla Park Recreation Center), 304 W. Bell Ave., Mesilla Park
• Gadsden Middle School, 1301 W. Washington St., Anthony, N.M.
• Garfield Elementary School, 8820 Highway 187, Garfield
• Good Samaritan Social Center, 3011 Buena Vida Circle, Las Cruces
• Jornada Elementary School, 3400 Elks Drive, Las Cruces
• La Mesa Fire Station, 15765 N.M. Hwy. 28, La Mesa
• La Union Elementary School, 875 Mercantil Ave., La Union
• Las Alturas Fire Station, 4145 Cholla Drive, Las Cruces
• Las Cruces High School, 1750 El Paseo Road, Las Cruces
• Lynn Middle School, 950 S. Walnut St., Las Cruces
• Mayfield High School, 1955 N. Valley Drive, Las Cruces
• Mesilla Elementary School, 2363 Calle Del Sur, Mesilla
• Mesquite Elementary School, 205 N.M. Hwy. 228, Mesquite
• New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, Las Cruces
• North Valley Elementary School, 300 Cascade Ave., San Miguel
• Oñate High School, 5700 Mesa Grande Drive, Las Cruces
• Organ Fire Station, 5816 3rd St., Organ
• Radium Springs Community Center, 12060 L.B. Lindbeck Road, Radium Springs
• Rincon Fire Station, 255 Harlan St., Rincon
• Santa Teresa Middle School, 4800 McNutt Road, Santa Teresa
• Sierra Middle School, 1700 Spruce Ave., Las Cruces
• Sonoma Elementary School, 4201 Northrise Drive, Las Cruces
• Sunrise Elementary School, 5300 Holman Road., Las Cruces
• Thomas Branigan Memorial Library, 200 E. Picacho Ave., Las Cruces
• Tombaugh Elementary School, 226 Carver Road, Las Cruces
• University Hills Elementary School, 2005 S. Locust, Las Cruces
• Vista Middle School, 4465 Elks Drive, Las Cruces

Source: Doña Ana County Clerk's Office