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As early voting is about to begin, voters in Valencia County may have noticed a few newly installed ballot boxes at Los Lunas and Bosque Farms.
Valencia County Election Office Administrator Candace Teague said the two new permanent drop boxes are the result of 2018 state legislation.
“Secure container legislation came into effect in 2019, but it did not give the Secretary of State’s office the funds to implement them,” Teague said. “We secured containers in the last election, but they had to be under the watchful eye of poll officials. “
Permanently installed ballot boxes are bolted and secured with concrete, along with cameras and fire, water and tampering sensors inside.
Ballot boxes for absentees have been permanently installed in the Valencia County administrative building in Los Lunas and in the public library in the village of Bosque Farms. A third will be installed in the town of Belen when a location has been chosen.
“At the moment, they’re locked, but once early voting begins next week, they’ll be available for people to give up on their mail-in ballots,” Teague said.
Currently, there are two boxes – one in the county administration building, 444 Luna Ave in Los Lunas, and a second in the Bosque Farms Village Public Library, 1455 W. Bosque Loop.
While there are no municipal races at Bosque Farms this year, Teague reminded voters in the municipality that there are other races on the ballot that they can vote for – Los Lunas Board of Education, Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District and the University of New Mexico – Valencia Campus Advisory Board.
“We want voters in this region to know that they still have one ballot to vote for in this election,” she said. “We don’t want them to feel disenfranchised just because their advice isn’t working.”
Teague said the election office was working with the town of Belen to select a site for a permanent lodge there.
The county ballot transport team will collect the ballots from the secure containers at least once a day, she said. Eligible voters can request a postal ballot request through the SOS website, sos.state.nm.us, or by calling the county election office at 866-2080.
During this year’s regular local elections, same-day registration is available at all early voting sites and at the Valencia County Clerk’s Office.
“During the early voting period, if someone hasn’t updated their registration or needs to register, they can do so and vote the same day,” Teague said.
This year, the county will have nine proximity polling centers open on election day. Registered voters can visit any VCC to vote or cast a completed mail-in ballot if they feel it is too late to mail it.
“We will have portable ballot boxes in some of the convenience stores, but people can still come in and hand their ballots to a poll worker,” she said.
Information on absences and early votes:
Absent by mail
from Monday to Friday
October 5-29
♦ Valencia County Clerk’s Office
444 Luna avenue, Los Lunas
866-2080
Early in person
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
October 5-29 (Monday to Friday)
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday October 30
♦ Valencia County Clerk’s Office (Election Office)
444 Luna avenue, Los Lunas
Advance voting
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
October 16-30 (Monday to Saturday)
Belen Community Center
305 Eagle Lane, Belén
Los Lunas Town Hall
660 Main Street, Los Lunas
City Hall of Peralta
90-A chemin Molina, Peralta
Municipality of the communities of the city of Rio
360 Rio Communities Blvd., Rio Communities
VCC on election day
7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday, November 2
Belen Community Center
305 Eagle Ln., Belén
♦ Administrative building of the consolidated schools of Belen
520 N. Main St., Belén
Municipality of the communities of the city of Rio
360 Rio Communities Blvd., Rio Communities
Don José Dolores Cordova Cultural Center
426 Jarales Road, Jarales
El Cerro Community Center
309 El Cerro Mission Blvd., Los Lunas
Los Lunas Schools Administration Building
119 Luna Street, Los Lunas,
Take the Dominguez de Mendoza community center
2933 NM 47, Tomé
City Hall of Peralta
90-A chemin Molina, Peralta
Los Lunas Town Hall
660 Main Street, Los Lunas
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