Voters out in force as election nears

KRQE TV

Updated: Oct 30, 2012 2:26 PM

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) — Election Day is one week away, and in Bernalillo County more people have turned out to vote early than ever before.

Meanwhile new Albuquerque Journal polls shows the numbers separating the state's congressional candidates are widening.

So far nearly 84,000 people have voted early in Bernalillo Coun ty. That's about 10,000 more early voters than this time during the last general election.

Residents in Bernalillo County have been hitting the polls for a little more than two weeks.

We don't know who they're voting for just yet, but the new numbers released by the Journal are shedding some light.

Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham has a wide lead over Republican Janice Arnold-Jones to be the next congresswoman representing the Albuquerque area.

Fifty-one percent of voters surveyed support Lujan Grisham; 36 percent like Arnold-Jones; 13 percent are still undecided.

In southern New Mexico 56 percent support incumbent Republican Rep. Steve Pearce, 38 percent are for Democrat Evelyn Madrid Erhard and 6 percent are still undecided.

And in northern New Mexico Democrat incumbent Rep. Ben Ray Luj n has a strong lead over Republican challenger Jefferson Byrd.

Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Olive said voting is running smoothly with as many as 135,000 early voters expected to cast ballots by the time early in-person voting ends on Saturday.

"We're seeing 10,000 voters a day going though those early voting sites, and that's a huge number," Toulouse Oliver said. "They're being moved through that process really fast and having a pretty smooth experience."

Democrats are turning out more than Republicans so far split 52 percent-36 percent. That is about on par with voter registration in the state, which is 48 percent Democrat, 32 percent Republican, 18 percent declined to state and 3 percent other.

Early voting ends this Saturday, and the last day to request an absentee ballot is Friday.
 

Copyright 2013 KRQE TV. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Political Pulse

We welcome your thoughtful comments. Be the first to participate in the discussion. All comments will display your username and avatar.