Sept. 19 is National Voter Registration Day
Today is National Voter Registration Day. Coming up on Nov. 7, 2023, any registered voter will be able to take part of our regular local election. Are you registered to vote? Have you changed information since the last election? Are you new to the community? If you have questions like these or already know you are not registered in Eddy County I can help. What better way to celebrate National Voter Registration Day than to help others become registered.
If you stop by the library we can get you on the New Mexico Secretary of State website. There you can see if you are currently registered to vote, if they have the correct information and get you registered to vote if you are not already in the system. To register to vote in the State of New Mexico you must be a U.S. citizen, a New Mexico resident, and at least 18 years old at the time of the election. Are you turning 18 before the next election? Unsure if you can register in time? You many complete the voter registration form now while you are still 17. This is to make sure you are registered and ready to vote when you are 18 years old.
When do you need to register to vote? Eddy County Clerk's office encourages you to get registered by Oct. 10. If you miss that date it is not too late to get registered. You can stop by any polling location during early voting and on Election Day to get same day registered. To do this you will need to provide a New Mexico identification that has your current address. If your ID has an old address then you would also need to bring in a water bill or another document with your current address in Eddy County and if you are a student your school paperwork with your address listed.
Early voting is a great way to get your vote in and beat the rush of Election Day. It will begin on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, at the County Clerk office located at 325 Main St. in Carlsbad or the Clerk's Sub-Office located at 602 S. First Street in Artesia. Voting will be open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Monday through Friday 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. The last day for early voting is Nov. 4. The Saturday before the election.
Can you not vote in person? There are many reasons why this might not be possible. But don't worry you can get an absentee ballot. The State does not keep a permanent list of Absentee voters, because of this you must submit a new request for every election. The New Mexico Secretary of State website has the application to request an Absentee ballot. There are six quick steps to get signed up. The library can help you with the process. Once registered for an Absentee ballot they will mail them out beginning on Oct. 10. The last day for you to mail a ballot will be on Tuesday, Oct. 24.
In the 2022 general election, there were 34,201 eligible voters and of that number, only 16,761 ballots were cast. This is only 49% of voters exercising their right to vote. This year I encourage you all to cast a vote. There are many ways to get your vote in. Make sure your vote is counted for Election Day Nov. 7. The library is happy to help with the process.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Sept. 19 is National Voter Registration Day
