A week after the 2024 Municipal Officer Elections in Sandoval County, municipal clerks can take a breath and look at the numbers.
Most of the incorporated municipalities in Sandoval County held their officer elections on March 5, but some are still in the process.
Recounts and runoff elections will take place after county commissioners hold a special meeting to canvass the votes and certify the election at 1 p.m. on Friday, March 15.
The purpose of the canvass is to ensure that every valid vote is included in the election totals by accounting for every ballot cast.
“You can make a difference, a big difference when you vote in a municipal election,” said Bernalillo Town Clerk Ida Fierro.
The municipalities that had elections last week were Bernalillo, Rio Rancho, Jemez Springs and Cuba—all chose to opt out of the New Mexico Local Election Act (LEA).
Opting out of the LEA means municipal officer elections take place in March of every even-numbered year and are handled by the municipal clerk. If they choose to participate in the LEA, elections will occur in November of every odd-numbered year and will be managed by the county clerk, who is responsible for covering the costs. The Village of Corrales holds its election in November.
Rio Rancho
The City of Rio Rancho will have a runoff election on April 9 for Districts 1 and 6 because neither candidate in the two districts received a majority of the votes cast, which is required by the city’s charter. In District 1, the runoff will be between former Rio Rancho Mayor Jim Owen and businesswoman Deborah S. Dapson. In District 6, the runoff election will be between Nicole Dahn List and Edward Lynn Paulsgrove.
Early voting for the runoff election will take place from March 27 to April 6. Election Day voting is on April 9. According to Rio Rancho City Clerk Rebecca Martinez, Rio Rancho was not eligible to opt into the LEA because the city requires a photo ID to vote.
The voter turnout numbers are not yet available but Martinez said the turnout for officer elections was about 9 percent in 2020 and 9.9 percent in 2016. The mayoral election in 2022 had a 14 percent turnout and the 2018 election was 16 percent.
The cost of this year’s election is currently unknown. However, the 2022 Municipal Officer Election cost $163,438.674 and the runoff cost $37,422.57.
Voters can register at an Early Voting or Election Day voting location where same-day voter registration or registration updating will be available. Additional details regarding the Runoff Election can be found at rrnm.gov/rrvotes.
Bernalillo
The Town of Bernalillo will not know if a recount is necessary until the County Commission meets.
According to Fierro, the town opted out of the LEA because “The governing body just basically wants to do their own elections.”
Voter turnout in Bernalillo was higher than in most places in the county with 585 voters.
“It wasn’t a mayoral election, it was just for the two council seats and the judgeship,” said Fierro. “That’s pretty good for a small community.”
About 800 voters turned out for the 2022 mayoral election. This year’s election cost the town about $20,000, which included $7,000 for the Dominion voting machines and an additional $4,200 for the recount.
Cuba
The Village of Cuba is also awaiting the canvass to determine if there will be a recount. The Secretary of State’s website indicates that a recount is possible in Cuba.
According to Village Clerk Vandora Casados, the town chose to opt out of the LEA so that they could run their own elections. However, they have decided to opt in for the upcoming state election in two years, which means that the county will handle all of their election requirements.
The turnout in Cuba was low and Casados speculates it was because only council positions were on the ballot. She believes 2026 will have a better turnout. This election cost the village about $6,000.
Jemez Springs
The Village of Jemez Springs opted out of the LEA because the council did not think it was viable, said Heather Gutierrez, the interim village clerk. The village elected a mayor and three trustees.
The village saw 62 voters, which was close to the same turnout in the last November election, according to Gutierrez.
She said the election cost the village $20,000 and noted if the village opted into the LEA, “it would have been free.”