How to Vote in New Mexico's 2024 Elections
Important dates and election information
- Last day of regular registration: Tuesday, Oct. 8
- First day of early voting: Tuesday, Oct. 8
- Deadline to request absentee ballot: Tuesday, Oct. 22
- Last day of early voting: Saturday, Nov. 2
- Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 5
Voting at a glance
- Voter registration: Check your registration status using the state's voter portal.
- Absentee voting: Any registered voter can apply for an absentee ballot without a reason.
- Early voting: Available from Tuesday, Oct. 8, to Saturday, Nov. 2, at your county clerk's office.
- Voting at the polls: Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. If you didn’t submit voter identification with your first-time mail-in registration, bring a valid photo ID, a current utility bill or government document that displays your name and address.
Recent voting changes in New Mexico
A 2023 state law mandates that:
- Same-day registration is offered at every polling place statewide on Election Day.
- Each county offers at least two ballot drop boxes, although counties can apply to waive this requirement.
- A voluntary permanent absentee voter list be established, so voters can automatically receive an absentee ballot before statewide elections if they choose.
- As part of the state Native American Voting Rights Act, tribes must have access to the same resources for voting as other voters in New Mexico.
How to register to vote
The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday, Oct. 8.
- Online: Register for the first time or make changes to your registration information using the state's voter portal.
- By mail: Print a registration form that you downloaded online, complete it and mail it to your county clerk’s office. Your registration form must be postmarked by the deadline (Tuesday, Oct. 8).
- In person: Visit your county clerk's office during regular business hours to pick up and return your completed registration form. After regular registration ends, you may participate in same-day registration, where you can complete your registration and vote.
Registering to vote on Election Day
Same-day registration is available at your county clerk's office throughout the early voting period and at every polling location in your county on Election Day. Additional early voting sites also may offer same-day voter registration. Check with your county clerk’s office.
Bring an acceptable form of ID, such as a New Mexico driver’s license or state ID card or a document displaying your address, along with a photo ID.
Check your voter registration status
Use the state's voter portal to verify your registration status.
How to request an absentee ballot
The county clerk must receive your absentee ballot application by Tuesday, Oct. 22.
- Online: Complete the online application form.
- By mail: Print and fill out the absentee ballot application, then mail it to your county clerk’s office. Absentee ballot requests must be received 14 days before an election — that’s Tuesday, Oct. 22. But you’re encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
- In person: Visit your county clerk’s office to request an application in person. You can also print and complete the absentee ballot application, then deliver it to your county clerk’s office.
- By phone: Call your county clerk’s office to request an application.
Returning an absentee ballot
Open your envelope and read the instructions written on the yellow paper inside. Fill out your ballot, fold your ballot and put it in the inner envelope. Then, put the inner envelope into the outer envelope. Seal and sign the outer envelope and return it:
- By mail: Send your ballot to your county clerk’s office. It must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Bernalillo County election officials and the U.S. Postal Service said absentee ballots mailed from a Bernalillo County location on or before Oct. 22, 2024, will arrive by the deadline. Absentee ballots should now be hand-delivered to ensure timely arrival.
- In person: Hand-deliver your ballot to your county clerk’s office, any early voting location or Election Day polling place in your county, or a secure drop box. Find voting locations and their operating days and hours via the state's voter portal. Check with your county clerk’s office for drop box locations and operating days and hours. Ballots must be submitted by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Track your absentee ballot through the state’s voter portal.
Voting in person before Election Day
Early voting runs from Tuesday, Oct. 8, through Saturday, Nov. 2. Find early voting locations and operating hours via the state's voter portal or by contacting your county clerk’s office.
Voting at the polls on Election Day
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5. Find polling locations via the state's voter portal.
Sample ballots are also available on the state's voter portal.
Voter ID requirements on Election Day
Voter identification is only required for same-day registration and first-time New Mexico voters who completed their registration by mail and did not submit identification with their form.
For same-day registration, bring a New Mexico driver’s license or state ID card, or a document displaying your address in the county, along with a photo ID. If you are a first-time voter who did not submit identification with your registration by mail, bring a valid photo ID, current utility bill, bank statement or document displaying your name and address.
Voting with a disability
People with a disability may vote using an absentee ballot, which can be delivered to the county clerk’s office in person or by mail by a voter’s caregiver or member of their immediate family. Those in a nursing home or long-term care facility may also use this option.
If you have a visual impairment, you may request a special absentee ballot. You may request assistance at a polling station or use an accessible voting machine. For more information, visit the elections website.
Accessible voting machines are available at every polling station.
Editor’s note: This guide was originally published Jan. 29, 2024, and was updated Oct. 28, 2024, with information on absentee ballot delivery in Bernalillo County.
Julie Goldenberg is an associate editor of AARP The Magazine and the AARP Bulletin. She is a graduate of Columbia Journalism School and is based in New York City.
