LWVLA News:
Democracy is not a spectator sport, but the pandemic is making it more strenuous to participate.
The League of Women Voters is urging voters to apply for an Absentee Ballot for the 2020 Primary Election. An Absentee Ballot is available to all voters and is the best way to avoid exposure to you and to the poll workers.
Voting starts May 5 and runs through Election Day, June 2.
The best and quickest way is to apply today for an Absentee Ballot online. Go to www.NMVote.org. Applying online makes the process easier for the County Clerk’s office. You will see a button to apply for an Absentee Ballot. You will need a valid New Mexico Driver’s License or a New Mexico Identification Card, and your Social Security Number.
While online at NMVote.org, please check your registration. Make sure your registration is current, and that you have designated one of the major parties (Republican, Democrat, or Libertarian).
New Mexico has a closed primary. Closed Primary means you can only vote in the party in which you are registered, and only in a party that has a candidate in the Primary Election. For the 2020 Primary, the Democratic, Libertarian, and Republican, parties have candidates. Independents or Declined to State cannot vote in the Primary.
You can change your party affiliation online by May 5. For this you must fill out a new voter registration form either online or in person at the County Clerk’s Office. For more information, please see the Q&A at https://www.sos.state.nm.us/voting-and-elections/voting-faqs/voter-registration/
If you cannot apply for an Absentee Ballot online, you will still receive the application to request an Absentee Ballot: on April 14, the NM Supreme Court ruled that County Clerks will send all registered voters the application through the US Mail. Use this application. Fill it out and return it right away. Remember, this form is only an application for the ballot. This isn’t the ballot itself.
Watch for the Voter Guide. It will be included in the Thursday, April 23, edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post delivered to all Los Alamos residents and commercial establishments. The LWVLA Voters Guide for the Primary Election 2020 also is available online at www.lwvlosalamos.org; or view an interactive version at www.Vote411.org .
Barbara Calef and Rebecca Shankland, Co-Chairs, LWV-Los Alamos