Community and Public Affairs

Elections 2008
Sadh Sangat! This year we have the opportunity to make real change in the national and New Mexican political landscape. In case you've not been following the news, there is a very historic and important U.S. presidential election between Democratic candidate Senator Barack Obama, who is the first African-American (Democratic) nominee, and Republican Senator John McCain, who at 70 is the oldest presidential candidate ever.

Additionally, the retirement of New Mexico's Republican/ senior U.S. Senator Pete Domenici has caused almost every other congressional official in the state to run for his seat. This means 4 of the 5 members of the NM Congressional delegation will be different next year. Additionally, the people running for Congress or Senate are causing vacancies in other State positions, as State-level officials make a run for Congress. Because of this, New Mexico is a ‘swing state’ in this year’s election.

Be informed and be sure to VOTE!

Presidential Election
Election Day is November 4. This is when the President is elected, as well as our new Senator and Congressional representatives, among others. To vote in the Presidential election, you must be registered by October 7, 2008.

Polling Places
If you are registered to vote and are unsure where to go to cast your vote, visit the VoterView website. https://voterview.state.nm.us/VoterView/RegistrantSearch.do Input your registration name and your county. Then click on the link for your name and it will show your address, polling place, and voting districts. If you have any questions about where to vote, call the County Clerk, not the Ashram.

New Voter Registration Information
You must be registered with the county in which you LIVE in order to vote; your district(s) are determined by your physical address, not PO Boxes. If you are not registered, you cannot vote/your provisional ballot is not counted.) Most of our sangat live in Santa Fe County, but some in La Mesilla and most sangat in town or north of Espanola are in Rio Arriba County. Registration is painless and easy. You will need some kind of legal I.D. with your legal name on it. Here is contact and other information for both Counties:

Santa Fe County resident election/registration information: http://santafecounty.org/clerk/election-FAQ.php

Rio Arriba County resident - Clerk's office information (call 505-753-1780 to inquire about voter registration): http://www.rio-arriba.org/departments-and-divisions/clerk.html

First-Time Voter in New Mexico:
If you are a first-time voter/have never voted in New Mexico before, you may be asked to provide some kind of identification when you go to the polls. Here’s what counts as valid I.D.

• An original or copy of current and valid photo identification with or without an address
• Utility bill with your name on it
• Bank statement with your name on it
• Paycheck or Government check made out to you
• Student identification card
• Other government document, including identification issued by an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo
  (All of the above must show the name and address of the person, the address of which is not required to match the voter's certificate of registration)
• Verbal or written statement of the voter’s name, address, and year of birth
  

Get Out The Youth vote:
If you're 18-25, check out this site: http://www.rockthevote.com.

Who will be on the November 4 Ballot?
Candidates from both the Republican and Democratic parties will be on the November ballot for the following offices:

• U.S. President
• U.S. Senator (represents the State in Washington, DC)
• U.S. Congressional Representative (represents northern NM/3rd Congressional District in Washington)
• County Clerk
• State Senator

District 6 for Santa Fe sangat
District 5 for Rio Arriba sangat

• State Representative

        Santa Fe County sangat/District 46
        Rio Arriba County sangat/District 40

• County Commissioner(s)
• County Treasurer

The Santa Fe County Clerk’s office will have sample ballots on its website sometime in October. Rio Arriba County residents wanting ballot information should visit the office on Industrial Park Road in Espanola (or call 753-1780).

Get informed. Get out and vote! Questions?