Valencia County voters face crowded primary ballot, Election Day Tuesday

Valencia County voters have only a few days left to get to the polls before Tuesday’s primary, and the ballot reaches far beyond one local contest. Early voting ends Saturday, and on Election Day all Valencia County polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with 15 sites available countywide.

The race list is broad enough to touch nearly every level of government that matters to daily life. The official candidate list includes contests for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, the state legislature, judge of the Court of Appeals, and public education commissioner. That means voters will help decide not only who represents Valencia County in Santa Fe and Washington, but also who shapes state courts and the schools that serve local families.

The primary is also more open than in past years. New Mexico’s Secretary of State says 2026 is the first statewide semi-open primary, allowing independent and Decline-to-State voters to take part without changing party registration. Voters already registered with a major party will still vote in that party’s primary. For anyone who has waited until the last minute, Valencia County’s Bureau of Elections says same-day voter registration is available at the county administration building and at all early voting sites, as long as the voter has a Valencia County residential address.

Early voting at the county administration offices in Los Lunas began May 5 and runs through May 30. The county says those sites were closed Monday, May 25, for the federal holiday. County election materials also list four alternate early voting sites and note that Election Day sites include locations in Los Lunas, Belen, Bosque Farms, the Pueblo of Isleta Veterans Center, Ann Parish Elementary School and Century High School.

The absentee-ballot deadline has already passed. Requests had to be received by 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 19. For voters who still need a quick check on registration or county clerk contact information, the state’s election website directs them to NMVote.org.

The primary ballot is crowded, the timetable is tight, and the county’s turnout infrastructure is already in place. For Valencia County, Tuesday is the day that will set the field for the next round of local, state and judicial power.