What to expect on New Mexico’s Election Day

Poll closing and results

New Mexico polls close at 7 p.m. local time Tuesday, or 9 p.m. Eastern. The Associated Press plans to report results and declare winners in contests for U.S. Senate, governor, U.S. House, attorney general, secretary of state, state Senate, state House, state auditor, land commissioner and state treasurer. It will also cover statewide ballot measures.

Results will not arrive in the same order in every county. About half of New Mexico’s 33 counties are expected to include all or nearly all early in-person and mail ballots in their first update. Some counties also include Election Day votes in that initial report, while most release those votes over the course of the night.

Early and absentee voting can make up a large part of the total. In the 2022 governor’s race, about 63% of votes were cast before Election Day or by absentee ballot.

When races may be called

The AP says it will declare a winner only after determining there is no path for the trailing candidate to close the gap. A candidate’s concession or declaration of victory does not itself produce an AP race call. If a contest remains uncalled, the AP may report those statements while making clear that it has not declared a winner.

Past timing offers a reference point, not a schedule. In the 2024 general election, New Mexico’s first results appeared just after polls closed. The statewide count reached 50% reporting at 10:33 p.m. Eastern and 90% at 12:48 a.m. Eastern on Nov. 6.

Automatic recounts

New Mexico automatically recounts a federal or statewide race when the margin is less than 0.25% of all votes cast in that contest. The AP may still declare a winner before that recount if it determines the margin cannot be reversed through the recount or a legal challenge.