Rio Rancho finalizes polling plan for March municipal election

Rio Rancho city officials have set polling locations, absentee and early voting timelines and staffing goals ahead of the municipal election scheduled for March 3, setting the clock on a contest shaped by cost concerns and past debates over when local elections should be held.

City Clerk Noel Davis, who took office in April 2024, said she and her staff are preparing to run the election that state law places on the first Tuesday in March of even-numbered years. The city anticipates the election will cost approximately $500,000. “It's a lot of work. It's a little overwhelming, but I am very excited,” Davis said.

The governing body unanimously approved a resolution on Jan. 8 after the Sandoval County Commission adjusted precinct boundaries and the New Mexico Secretary of State’s office signed off on those changes. Officials had earlier faced a 3-3 deadlock over an ordinance that would have moved Rio Rancho’s municipal elections to November of odd-numbered years and extended terms; proponents cited low voter turnout and the expense of holding separate elections, and the proposal drew vocal opposition from residents.

Logistics for the March election were revised late in 2025 after initial polling site approvals in July proved difficult to implement. Davis said the city struggled to secure short-term commercial leases for polling locations. “Not a lot of commercial locations were willing to do short-term leases with the city,” she said, “and it was expensive.” That challenge contributed to reliance on public buildings, including schools and community centers.

Absentee ballots will be mailed beginning Feb. 3; the last day to request an absentee ballot is Feb. 17. Absentee ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. to any polling location or to the City Clerk’s Office. Early voting opens at the Broadmoor Senior Center on the initial early-voting day, with expanded early voting Feb. 14 through Feb. 28. The senior center will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday until Feb. 27 and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays Feb. 14, 21 and 28. Additional early voting sites include Loma Colorado Library at 755 Loma Colorado Blvd., Sabana Grande Recreation Center at 4114 Sabana Grande Ave., The Hub at Enchanted Hills at 7845 Enchanted Hills Blvd., and 2345 Southern Blvd., Suite C2; those locations will operate 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday during expanded early voting.

On Election Day, March 3, 14 polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., including Broadmoor Senior Center, Loma Colorado Library, The Hub, Sabana Grande Recreation Center, the Southern Boulevard location, Cabezon Community Center, Cielo Azul Elementary School, Puesta del Sol Elementary School, Haynes Community Center, Ester Bone Library, Star Heights Recreation Center, Rio Rancho Middle School, Joe Harris Elementary School and Colinas del Norte Elementary School. The city is recruiting 85 to 95 poll workers for Election Day. “We also use the schools (as polling locations), so we have to deploy additional people,” Davis said.

If no candidate wins a majority, a runoff will be held April 14. If there is no runoff, Davis will canvass results March 4 through March 13, and candidates could be sworn in as soon as April 1.

For Rio Rancho voters, the schedule and site choices will determine access and convenience and influence turnout in a city that has recently discussed changing the timing of municipal elections to reduce costs and increase participation. With a half-million dollar price tag and a need for dozens of temporary staff, the election underscores the trade-offs local officials weigh between fiscal constraints and ensuring accessible polling across growing neighborhoods.