Absentee ballots can now be requested online

Secretary of State’s Office launches service earlier than usual due to pandemic

New Mexico voters anxious about receiving absentee ballots for the upcoming general election can now apply for those documents online.

Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver announced the initiative, designed to make the process of voting easy and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, late last week. Since then close to 12,000 New Mexicans have requested ballots online, according to spokesman Alex Curtas.

“The COVID-19 crisis is sadly still with us, but New Mexico’s election administrators are prepared and are providing a number of ways for voters to cast their ballot, whether by mailing an absentee ballot, dropping your completed absentee ballot off with your County Clerk or designated drop location or by voting in-person during Early Voting on on Election Day,” Oliver said in a statement Friday.

Though New Mexico voters can already apply for absentee ballots through their county clerk offices by submitting a paper form, this online system will make it “as convenient as possible for people to participate in the election,” Curtas said.

“The more convenient options for voters, the more likely they are to turn out and participate,” he said. “We expect to see a good, healthy turnout in general but we especially expect the absentee turnout to surge.”

New Mexico is one of 25 states currently offering residents some online option to apply for an absentee ballot, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

State voters who apply online need to provide their date of birth, driver’s license number and the last four digits

of their Social Security number. Curtas said when they receive the ballots in the mail, residents must sign them and provide those last four digits of their Social Security number on the ballot envelope.

The Secretary of State initiated the online application plan in 2018. Curtas said the office usually opens the process about a month before an election, but concerns about the pandemic prompted officials to alter the timeline.

He said the online application process has been gaining in popularity with “record” online applications received during the primary election in June. About 417,500 people voted in the primary election and of those, 264,793 cast absentee votes.

New Mexico has 1,310,739 registered voters to date, Curtas said Monday.

Election advocates have warned record-breaking absentee ballot requests may lead to new challenges, noting voters may have to wait longer than usual to get the results in some races.

Many county clerks’ offices in New Mexico need more help staffing their polling centers on Election Day, Nov.

3. Curtas said Tuesday is National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, and his office is working with county clerks to hire temporary workers for the election.

Part of the shortage problem may stem from this issue: Many poll workers are over the age of 60 and thus may be more susceptible to complications from the virus, Curtas said.

Curtas said those workers receive the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour with a cap of $200 per day for working on Election Day. County clerks set the wage for those who offer to work in early voting efforts, he said.

Oct. 6 is the first day county clerks can send out absentee ballots to residents who have requested them, and Oct. 20 is the last day for voters to request an absentee ballot.

Election officials urge voters to mail completed ballots to their county clerks no later than Oct. 27 to ensure they arrive by 7 p.m. on Election Day.