Off to the primary races

Primary election day in Albuquerque wasn’t unusual: Voters arrived and received their ballots, poll workers had things moving quickly, signs sought to take one more shot at swaying citizens’ attention and candidates traversed the city to thank voters for their time.

Wait times for voters were observably short at polling places City Desk ABQ visited, with some workers saying turnout was lighter than expected.

“Election Day is going smoothly,” Bernalillo County Clerk Linda Stover said early Tuesday afternoon. 

She said she hoped to see the pace pick up as the 7 p.m. close of polling approached.

After the polls closed at 7 p.m. 73,148 Bernalillo County residents — 22.6% of eligible voters — had voted on election day or with early or absentee ballots, according to the clerk’s website. Of those, 48,434 are Democrats, 270 are Libertarian and 24,444 are Republicans.

Chuck Canham served as a presiding judge — the term for the worker in charge at each of the 72 Bernalillo County polling places — at the vote center at Andalucia Shopping Center at Coors Boulevard and Montaño Road NW.

He said traffic was light and that he expects more action during the Nov. 5 general election.

An important election

Several voters said this election cycle is important, with candidates running  at the local, state and federal levels. Alisa Bullock, voting at Andalucia, said she’s hoping for changes that reduce the crime rate and benefit the city’s young people.

“People in New Mexico and Albuquerque need to think about what future they want and how they want to go there,” Bullock said.

Across town, at a polling place in the International District, voters Shawn Berman and Janet Holmberg spoke of the importance of the election as well. Berman said the Democratic nominees in many of the area’s legislative races are likely to win in November, which means the primary is when voters need to examine candidates’ positions.

The couple said issues they find important are food security, homelessness and women’s rights. Berman said he would be considering economic development as well.

Holmberg said she’s particularly interested in candidates’ approaches to helping those who are homeless due to addiction or mental illness.

“I don’t mean getting people off the street just to get them off the street,” she said.

View from the street

Voters approaching the County Clerk’s Annex on Lomas Boulevard found more than 50 candidate signs greeting them. Most were across the sidewalk on 15th Street.

Annex voter Cristobal Rocha said he was a “super volunteer” for New Mexico House of Representatives candidate Marianna Anaya and New Mexico Senate candidate Heather Berghmans.

“I waited probably two minutes to vote,” he said.

Rocha said he likes to wait and vote in person, so he can gather as much information as possible and make an informed choice.

Several other voters across the city said they usually cast their ballots early, but hadn’t found the time to do so this year.

A right and a duty

Those leaving the vote center at Caracol Plaza, near Montgomery and Tramway boulevards, were greeted by Republican Senate candidate Michael Wiener and Republican House candidate Sarah Jane Allen. Nicole Chavez, one of Allen’s opponents in the District 31 House Republican primary, arrived later.

“Thank you for voting,” the candidates untold each passerby.

Wiener, a former state senator trying to get back to Santa Fe, in the Senate District 21 primary, said he was at his fifth polling place in as many hours.

“I’m trying to get out and meet the voters and show them (I’m) the best candidate to vote for,” he said.

Kelly Saindon, who had just cast her ballot at Andalucia, said it’s important that people understand the freedom and power voting provides.

“No matter who they vote for, I want them to exercise that right,” she said.