Dona Ana County Absentee Ballot Gap Closes

By ABC-7 Reporter Martin Bartlett

LAS CRUCES – Hundreds of unaccounted absentee ballots came in the mail this afternoon, Dona Ana County officials said Tuesday evening, slicing the number of ballots still outstanding here.

Many other voters who had asked for absentee ballots opted to vote in person instead, county spokesman Jess Williams said.

Elections officials were concerned by how many absentee ballots had not been mailed in or returned by Tuesday morning.

The ballotsthat came in the mail late Tuesday do not make up the entire number of unaccounted for ballots which elections officials admit was uncomfortably high.

In related news, under changes recently made to New Mexico election law, early voting ballots are not counted until all ballots cast on Election Day have been counted, according to Dona Ana County Spokesman Jess Williams.

As of 8 p.m., no precincts in Dona Ana County had reported their Election Day totals in Dona Ana County.

In Texas, early voting numbers are typically released when Election Day polls close at 7 p.m.