Voting Information

My undergraduate degree is in political science, and I always imagined I would go into politics in some way. An experience working with the legislature here and my call to the ministry changed those plans (and church politics don’t count). But, at one point my personalized license plate was “Vote”. Voting is one of the most important things we can do as citizens of this country. It is one of the ways we fulfill the “we the people” part of the constitution.

Yesterday was National Voter Registration Day, which takes place on the fourth Tuesday of September every year as a civic “holiday” to celebrate our democracy. If you are not already registered to vote, I would strongly encourage you to do. The deadline to register online in New Mexico is October 6, and you may do so here.  If you want to register by mail, it must be postmarked by October 6 as well. But, you can register in person through October 31, and that can be done with the county clerk which is in the municipal building, suite 204.

As for election information, as you are probably aware the election date is Tuesday, November 3. If you would like to request an absentee ballot, that must be done by October 20 (Click Here) and they must be received, not postmarked, but received by the county clerk by November 3.  They will have a drop box outside the municipal building for absentee ballots starting October 12. Early voting is available starting October 6^th in the municipal building. White Rock will have early voting at the White Rock Town Hall starting on October 17^th, and both locations will run until October 31^st. Election day voting will also be at those locations as well as at the golf course.

My final instruction comes John Wesley’s journal, and has come to be known as his rules for voting. He says: “I met those of our society who had votes in the ensuing election, and advised them:

1. To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy.

2. To speak no evil of the person they voted against.

3. To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side."

The one other piece, which would have been a given for Wesley is to pray, or as Ministry Matters, a United Methodist website says, “Spend time in prayer, not only reflecting on whom you should vote for but also asking God to guide your words, attitudes, and actions toward those with whom you disagree.”