Regular Local Elections Slated for November

By Michele Robertson

Regular Local Elections for Eddy County will be held on Tuesday, November 4. There are several different items up for voting, and your voice matters.

Eddy County Clerk Cara Cooke shared some important information about the upcoming Regular Local Elections. The Clerk’s office puts out public service announcements regarding machine certification, voting dates, etc., but they do not collect or disperse candidate information.

“The Regular Local Election will have four City Council positions, three Carlsbad School Board positions, two Loving School Board positions, two college Board positions, two Carlsbad Soil and Water Supervisors, and Loving School will have a bond question,” Cooke said.

Cooke also shared some important dates to remember: “In-person voting begins October 7; Early Voting extended hours begin October 18-November 1. Election Day is November 4 (there is never voting the day before election day, Monday, November 3; we always have voters show up wanting to vote because they are leaving town and can’t vote on Election Day).”

If you’re not going to be able to vote on Election Day, early voting or an absentee ballot are an ideal way to still have your vote counted. The last day to mail out an Absentee ballot is October 21.

“The only law change is the removal of the Watershed Districts from the Regular Local Elections,” Cooke said. “Voters can view their Sample Ballot online or we can print one in our office and at both Early Voting sites (Carlsbad and Artesia),” Cooke added.

“Voters need to keep in mind that the Regular Local Election ballots do not have a lot of contests, however, this election is very important. The Regular Local Election determines City Council, School Board, College Board, Soil and Water Supervisors, and sometimes property tax questions,” Cooke said.

The Village of Hope has: a four-year term Mayor and two four-year term City Council positions on the ballot. The Village of Loving has two four-year term Councilors; the City of Carlsbad has four Councilors with four-year terms on the ballot in districts 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Carlsbad Schools has three board members with four-year terms in districts 2 and 5. Loving Schools has two board positions with four-year terms, and Artesia Schools has three board positions with four-year terms in districts 1, 2 and 4.

Southeastern New Mexico College has two board members with four-year terms in districts 2 and 5. Artesia General Hospital has two board members with four-year terms in districts 4 and 5 open; Central Valley Soil and Water and Penasco Valley Soil and Water each have two supervisors with four-year terms on the ballot, and Carlsbad Soil and Water Conservation District has two landowners with four-year terms.

Poll workers are essential in helping with the election process. Anyone interested in being a poll worker should call the Eddy County Clerk’s office for more information.

Roni Barnhart, retired nurse, poll worker, and community ambassador shared why she signed up to be a poll worker. “After I retired and had some free time, a friend encouraged me to be a poll worker. I feel that it is my civic duty to be a poll worker. The more people able to work the polls helps prevent long lines, and you can assist the voters who have questions,” she said. “Working the polls helps me see that our elections are done accurately and efficiently in Eddy County,” she added.

“We need poll workers to make sure the voting process goes smoothly. If you don’t have workers, you can’t run an election,” she said. “Working as a poll worker can be challenging but rewarding. A poll worker is a critical job, so an election goes smoothly,” she added.

For more information about elections, voting, being a poll worker, or registering to vote, reach out to the County Clerk’s Office. There will be an Election Information Town Hall on Thursday October 2, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Carlsbad Public Library, hosted by the Eddy County Clerk’s office.

The Eddy County Clerk’s office can be reached at the Eddy County Administration Complex is located at 325 S. Main St. in Carlsbad. The phone number is 575-885-3383.

The Artesia Sub Office is at 602 S. 1st St. in Artesia. The phone number is 575-746-2541. Or visit the website at https://www.co.eddy.nm.us/185/County-Clerk.