New Mexico Sees High Voter Turnout, Election Watchers Report Minor Issues
New Mexico experienced a high voter turnout in the recent midterm elections, with approximately 50% of eligible voters statewide and 60% in Santa Fe County casting ballots. This represents an increase of over 15,000 voters statewide compared to the 2022 election and more than 1,000 in Santa Fe County from the midterm elections four years prior. Observe New Mexico Elections, a nonpartisan organization affiliated with The Carter Center, deployed at least 255 observers across the state. Heidi Feldman, a Santa Fe legal scholar and founder of the group, reported encountering some broken voting machines and long lines, particularly in rural areas, but noted these issues were mostly resolvable. Carmen López, another leader of the organization, highlighted the resolve of poll workers in counties affected by recent flooding to ensure polling places remained open. A state district judge had previously granted a temporary restraining order allowing the organization's election watchers into Santa Fe County polling pla...
