N.M. voting gets underway for primary races

Early voting started Tuesday across New Mexico ahead of the June 7 primary election to determine the Republican nominee for governor and Democratic nominees for attorney general and other statewide offices.

Election officials began mailing absentee ballots to local voters, and county clerk’s offices opened their doors to in-person voting. Expanded early voting begins May 21 at more polling locations.

The Secretary of State’s Office also announced a change in early voting plans in Mora County due to the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire that is increasingly affected residents there.

The Mora County Clerk’s Office temporarily moved Tuesday to Wagon Mound City Hall, 600 Catron Ave., the agency announced.

It will be open there from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for in-person early voting and other services.

The Secretary of State’s Office urged residents of other counties near active wildfires to vote early in the primary — either in person or by mail — in case of other disruptions.

Five Republicans are vying for the nomination to challenge Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham as she seeks a second term.

They include former television meteorologist Mark Ronchetti, state Rep. Rebecca Dow of Truth or Consequences and Sandoval County Commissioner Jay Block.

Democratic voters will select a nominee for the state’s top law enforcement post as Attorney General Hector Balderas completes his second term and term limits prevent him from serving longer.

Albuquerque-based District Attorney Raúl Torrez is competing against lawyer and State Auditor Brian Colón, who is also from Albuquerque.

The winner will compete against Republican attorney and U.S. Marine veteran Jeremy Michael Gay of Gallup.

New Mexico requires affiliation with a major party in order to vote in a primary.

But recent changes in state election law make it easier for unaffiliated voters to participate in the primary if they chose to affiliate with a major party, even briefly.

Under same-day voter registration procedures, people who belong to minor parties or decline affiliation can still participate in the statewide primary by picking a major party affiliation on site at election-day polling places, county clerks’ offices and some early voting locations.

State election regulators have said that the registration-update process can take as little as five minutes and is reversible after people vote in primaries.

People already registered to vote for major parties — Republican, Democratic or Libertarian — are prohibited from switching parties during the election period that lasts from Tuesday through June 7.

People who decline to state party preferences or belong to minor political parties account for nearly one-fourth of registered voters in New Mexico.

The Mora County Clerk’s Office temporarily moved Tuesday to Wagon Mound City Hall.