ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Early voting is off to a strong start in New Mexico, with nearly 78,000 ballots already cast as voters begin weighing in on races that will shape the state’s political future.
According to the latest turnout figures, 77,993 voters have cast ballots statewide. The largest share of those votes has come from Democrats, though Republicans and independent voters are also showing significant participation during the opening days of the election cycle.
The state’s most populous counties are leading the way in turnout, with Bernalillo County accounting for more than 31,000 ballots, nearly 41% of all early votes cast statewide so far.
Statewide Early Voting Breakdown
- Democratic voters: 47,138
- Republican voters: 16,248
- Declined to State/Independent voters: 13,915
- Other parties: 692
- Total ballots cast: 77,993
Counties With the Highest Early Voting Turnout
- Bernalillo County: 31,952
- Santa Fe County: 8,679
- Doña Ana County: 8,280
- Sandoval County: 7,350
- Valencia County: 3,375
Together, those five counties account for nearly three-quarters of all ballots cast statewide.
- Bernalillo County has almost double the turnout of any other county.
- Santa Fe County recorded the state’s second-highest turnout despite having a much smaller population than Bernalillo County.
- Doña Ana County continues to post strong participation numbers with more than 8,200 ballots cast.
- San Juan County is one of the few larger counties where Republican voters currently outnumber Democrats in early voting.
- Independent and Declined-to-State voters have cast nearly 14,000 ballots, making up a significant voting bloc heading into the final weeks of the campaign.
While larger metro areas dominate total turnout, voters are showing up across New Mexico. Counties such as Grant, Otero, San Juan, Los Alamos, and Luna have all exceeded 600 ballots, while smaller counties including Harding, Mora, Union, and De Baca have also begun reporting early participation.
With expanded early voting locations opening later this month and Election Day still weeks away, election officials expect turnout numbers to continue climbing as voters cast ballots in the closely watched statewide races.
