March 2018 Regular Municipal Election

The city's next municipal election will take place on Tuesday, March 06, 2018. On the ballot will be the following offices and questions:
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Mayor, four-year term elected at-large
Municipal Judge, four-year term elected at-large
District 2, four-year term
District 3, four-year term
District 5, four-year term

*Only registered voters from these City Council Districts will be able to vote for their respective City Council seat.
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“Shall the City of Rio Rancho issue up to $10,000,000 of general obligation bonds, to be repaid from property taxes, for the purpose of designing, constructing, repairing, preserving, rehabilitating, enhancing and otherwise improving roads?”

For general obligation road bonds           ❑
Against general obligation road bonds     ❑

*All of the city's registered voters are eligible to vote on the bond question.
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“Shall the City of Rio Rancho issue up to $4,100,000 of general obligation bonds, to be repaid from property taxes, for the purpose of designing, constructing, repairing, preserving, rehabilitating, enhancing and otherwise improving public safety facilities and repairing, replacing or otherwise improving public safety vehicles, apparatus, and equipment?”

For general obligation public safety bonds              ❑
Against general obligation public safety bonds        ❑

*All of the city's registered voters are eligible to vote on the bond question.
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Runoff Election

If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the total votes cast in the March 06, 2018 election, the candidates with the highest and second-highest vote totals from the election would be subject to a runoff election. The runoff election would be held between 35 days to 45 days after the canvass of the March 06, 2018 election is completed.  The specific runoff election date would be set by vote of the Rio Rancho Governing Body.

Absentee Voting

Applications for absentee ballots may be obtained only from the Office of the City Clerk at Rio Rancho City Hall, 3200 Civic Center Circle, beginning January 30, 2018 either in-person or by phone (505) 891-5004. You may also download and absentee ballot application online here. All applications for an absentee ballot must be completed and accepted by the City Clerk prior to 5 p.m. on March 02, 2018.

The City Clerk will accept completed absentee ballots delivered by mail, in person by the voter casting the absentee ballot, by a member of the voter’s immediate family, or by the caregiver to the voter until 7 p.m. on March 06, 2018.  

Absentee ballots may be marked in person in the Office of the City Clerk at Rio Rancho City Hall during the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, from January 30, 2018 through March 02, 2018.

Early Voting

Early voting will be available at:

Rio Rancho City Hall, 3200 Civic Center Circle, during the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, from February 14, 2018 through March 02, 2018

Loma Colorado Main Library, 755 Loma Colorado Blvd., during the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, from February 14, 2018 through March 02, 2018

Election Day Voting

Voters on Election Day (March 06, 2018) will be able to cast their ballot at any of the four polling locations, or voting convenience centers, that will be available. Voting convenience center locations on Election Day will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and will include:

Rio Rancho City Hall, 3200 Civic Center Circle NE, 87144

Meadowlark Senior Center, 4330 Meadowlark Lane, 87124

Mountain View Middle School, 4101 Montreal Loop NE, 87144

Soul Rio Community Church, 2003 Southern Blvd. SE, Suite 128-131, 87124

Election Results

As soon as possible, following the polling locations closing at 7 p.m. on Election Day  (March 6), unofficial results will be listed on this web page and posted outside the Office of the City Clerk at Rio Rancho City Hall.  The March 6 unofficial election results are currently scheduled to be canvassed and certified as official on Friday, March 9.

Voter Registration

City of Rio Rancho residents 18 years of age and older who wish to vote in this election (including nonresident municipal electors), and are not already registered, must register with their respective County Clerk's Office (Sandoval / Bernalillo) before 5 p.m. on February 06, 2018.  You can register and update your registration information online via the New Mexico Secretary of State's Office.

A nonresident municipal elector means any person who on the date of election is a qualified, registered elector of Sandoval County or Bernalillo County but who is a resident of that portion of Sandoval County or Bernalillo County which is outside of the Rio Rancho City limits, and who has paid a property tax on property located within the City of Rio Rancho during the year preceding the election. Not more than sixty nor less than fifteen days before the Election, any nonresident municipal elector desiring to vote on the Bond Election Question shall file with the City Clerk a completed certificate of eligibility (can be obtained from the City Clerk) in substantially the form provided in Section 3-30-3 NMSA 1978, which shall constitute the nonresident municipal elector's additional registration requirement for voting at the Election on the Bond Election Questions. Each nonresident municipal elector must file such certificate of eligibility in addition to registering to vote with the Sandoval or Bernalillo County Clerk. Solely for the purpose of voting on the Bond Election Questions, all territory within the County of Sandoval and the County of Bernalillo is a municipal precinct (hereinafter referred to as the "Municipal District"). All territory in the Municipal District and not within the City's boundaries shall constitute one voting division to be known as the nonresident municipal elector-voting precinct (hereinafter referred to as the "Nonresident Voting District"). The Nonresident Voting District shall include the territory within the boundary of any other municipality within either County.

Voter Photo Identification

The following is information regarding required photo identification for Rio Rancho municipal elections:

•When a voter approaches the election polling place seeking to vote, the voter must identify herself or himself audibly by name. The Municipal Election Clerk shall locate the registered voter’s name as spoken and ask the individual seeking to vote for one current identification card containing the voter’s name and photograph.

•Such photo identification card may include any card issued by a government agency, driver’s license, student identification card, commercial transaction card (such as a credit or debit card), insurance card, union card, a professional association card or a voter identification card issued by the Rio Rancho City Clerk.

•If the individual is unable to provide a photo identification card, she or he shall be allowed to vote on a conditional ballot, but only if she or he swears or affirms under penalty of perjury in an affidavit provided by the City Clerk that she or he is the registered voter listed on the voter registration rolls at the precinct at which she or he presented herself or himself to vote and provides her or his date of birth and the last four digits of her or his Social Security number.

•Conditional ballots shall be issued for no other reason than the failure to present photo identification. Conditional ballots shall be counted only by the Canvassing Board and only on the voter’s presentation to the City Clerk within the three-day canvassing period one of the photo identification cards described in this section. The Canvassing Board shall also verify that the voter who cast the provisional ballot was registered to vote for the election and did not vote elsewhere in the same election. If a voter who cast a conditional ballot under this section swears or affirms under penalty of perjury in an affidavit provided by the City Clerk within the three-day canvassing period that she or he has a religious objection to being photographed, such voter shall not be required to submit photo identification. The Canvassing Board shall otherwise verify that the conditional ballot was valid.

•Voter photo identification cards shall be issued by the City Clerk without charge to any voter who presents any two of the following identification documents that show the name and address of the voter: a state-issued identification card, Social Security card, student identification card, library card, insurance card, selective service card, union card, professional association card, utility bill, bank statement, government check or a paycheck. If the individual is unable to present any two of these documents to the City Clerk, then the voter shall swear or affirm in writing under penalty of perjury that she or he is the registered voter and shall be issued a voter photo identification card upon confirmation with the County Clerk that such person is registered to vote. The City Clerk issued photo identification card shall state on its face that it shall not be valid for identification other than for the purpose of voting in city of Rio Rancho municipal elections and shall not be valid if the voter is subsequently purged from the voter rolls.

•Free city-issued voter photo identification is available now and can be obtained at the Office of the City Clerk at Rio Rancho City Hall, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Questions

For questions regarding absentee, early and Election Day voting, or obtaining a city-issued voter photo identification card, please contact the Rio Rancho Office of the City Clerk at (505) 891-5004.

To verify which City Council District you reside in, please contact the Office of the City Clerk or view the following Web page.