Election 2023: 'Sad' voter turnout fails to crack 20%

Olivier Uyttebrouck, Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
·3 min read

Nov. 7—Only about 1 in 5 eligible voters turned out Tuesday to cast votes in an election that decided four Albuquerque City Council seats and three Albuquerque Public School Board races, Bernalillo County Clerk Linda Stover said.

The total of 81,392 ballots were cast, or about 19% of Albuquerque's approximately 430,000 eligible voters, Stover said after polls closed on Tuesday.

"It's very low," she said. "It's sad. We didn't even hit 20%."

In all, 36,562 cast ballots in person at the polls on Tuesday, Stover said. At least 44,800 early and absentee ballots were cast.

The election also decided seven general obligation bond questions totaling some $200 million.

The 2021 local election had a 30.5% countywide turnout. But that election featured a contentious mayoral contest between incumbent Mayor Tim Keller, who defeated then-Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales and radio talk show host Eddy Aragon.

The 2021 election also featured a heavily advertised $50 million soccer stadium bond question that voters defeated.

Some of Bernalillo County's 72 voting locations appeared to attract a good number of voters on Tuesday.

Lines began forming early at the Caracol Plaza voting center, one of Bernalillo County's busiest polling sites, at Montgomery and Tramway NE. There, presiding judge Darrel Knutson welcomed voters with jokes and greetings.

"Thank you all for coming out to vote," Knutson told a dozen voters standing inside the doorway. "It's a beautiful day."

He added, "If they don't come with a smile, they leave with a smile — even if we have to paste it on."

About 560 people had cast votes by 10:30 a.m. at Caracol Plaza. "For a municipal election, it's been a good turnout," Knutson said.

Workers at other polling sites also reported steady traffic throughout the day. Denise Capeless, presiding judge at Four Hills Shopping Center, reported 350 voters by 11:05 a.m.

Among them were Jill and Harvey Eastman, who turned out to support a $16 million bond issue to support libraries, museums and cultural facilities.

"I really wanted to support the libraries because we use them all the time," Harvey Eastman said.

The couple also said they appreciate City Council support for programs that benefit homeless families.

At the University of New Mexico Student Union Building, 320 votes had been cast by about 1 p.m., said presiding judge Paul Roybal. "It's been a busy day," he said. "It was slow at first but it has been picking up."

About 1 in 6 voters at the UNM polling site are first-time voters or those changing their address, Roybal estimated.

First-time voter Bee Cragun, an 18-year-old UNM student, said he is particularly concerned with LGBTQ rights. "I feel it's important to make my voice heard," he said.

Several young voters acknowledged being unfamiliar with issues and candidates.

Carlos Perez, a UNM senior, said he didn't realize it was Election Day until he stopped to get cash at an ATM and saw the "Vote Here" sign in the ground floor of the Student Union Building.