With 3,000 more absentee ballots to tally, Doña Ana County to resume counting Wednesday morning

CLICK HERE FOR ELECTION RESULTS

1:40 A.M. UPDATE: With 3,000 more absentee ballots to count, the Doña Ana County Clerk's Office will resume counting ballots Wednesday morning at 9 a.m., according to candidate Carrie Hamblen.

The clerk's office received a total of 18,000 applications for absentee ballots during the 2020 primary, according to Chief Deputy County Clerk Lindsey Bachman.

DOÑA ANA COUNTY, New Mexico -- Thousands of Doña Ana County voters chose to cast their ballots in person as New Mexico elections officials tried to keep the process safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The typical turnout for a primary election is between 17,000 and 20,000 voters, according to the Doña Ana County Clerk's Office. As of 3 p.m., the county had surpassed 20,000 votes.

During the pandemic, 2020 has seen a record number of absentee ballots, officials said.

"From our perspective, it seems like New Mexicans were very interested in being able to use the ability to cast absentee ballots safely from their homes in light of the pandemic," said Doña Ana County Chief Deputy Clerk Lindsey Bachman.

Bachman told ABC-7 that the clerk's office received 18,000 applications for absentee ballots.

"Voters did heed the call to vote from home this election," she said. "We'll see how the rest of the day goes in terms of in-person turnout."