Early Voting Tips: Bernalillo County

Guest post by Suzanne Prescott:
Early stories in the press and TV might worry some but if you play the odds, voting won't take that long. First - any registered voter who wants to vote early can vote at ANY of the early voting sites. According to Bernalillo count clerk, Mary Herrera, the sites with the shortest lines are at:

• BERNALILLO COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE City-County Government Building, One Civic Plaza
• RIO BRAVO SHOPPING CENTER 1698 Rio Bravo SW
• LOS VECINOS COMMUNITY CENTER Tijeras

So the best tip for many is to drive the extra few minutes to vote at one of those sites. (The heaviest voting yesterday took place at ACADEMY OFFICE PARK, 6739 Academy NE.)

Second - According to Herrera the least busy time is between 6 and 8 PM. Wait until after dinner and drive to an early voting location of your choice. Voting at a time when you don't have to be back at work is also bound to be less stressful.

Third -  take supplies with you.  Early voters could be seen with books, water bottles and magazines. We also suggest you might think about a folding camp chair and one of those TIVO or Dish mini screens (PVR or DVR) for a quick peek at your favorite show. Perhaps the most interesting activity would be to turn to others in the line and ask them what they think of the TV ads that have been playing, how many  voters they think rely on ads rather than more careful analysis of where candidates stand on the issues. That should make for lively discussion.

Lastly - think about this. Whenever a new system is introduced there is a learning curve and a period adjustment to work out the "bugs." Our old system was broken; it needed to be fixed in order for everyone to feel that the vote they had cast was being counted. Part of the reason voting is taking more than a couple of minutes is that the ballot itself is long. There are many races and a number of issues voters are asked to cast their ballot on. The ballot is printed in small type so we suggest that you take a magnifying glass if you have one, although magnifying glasses are available at the voting locations. You might also want to take a mini flashlight in case a brighter light makes the ballot easier to read. As always, any voter may request help with voting if needed. Use whatever help is there to get in and out as quickly as possible.

If you've voted early, what was your experience and how long did it take? What tips, if any, do you have to offer?

For your information early voting for the Nov. 7 general election is available at 13 locations throughout Bernalillo County:

• THE BERNALILLO COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE City-County Government Building, One Civic Plaza
• RIO BRAVO SHOPPING CENTER 1698 Rio Bravo SW
• LOS VECINOS COMMUNITY CENTER Tijeras
• SANDIA VISTA SHOPPING CENTER 11500 Menaul NE
• GLENRIO PLAZA 851 Coors NW
• ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS CITY CENTRE 6400 Uptown NE
• 5024 FOURTH NW
• INTEGRITY PLAZA 1500 Wyoming NE
• PARKLAND PLAZA 1118 San Mateo SE
• PLAZA LADERA 5300 Sequoia NW
• 900 FOURTH NW
• ACADEMY OFFICE PARK 6739 Academy NE
• LOS RANCHOS VILLA 6601 Fourth NW

Editor's Notes:
Voting Hours at the Bernalillo County sites listed above are:
Tuesday, October 24 thru Friday, October 27: Noon - 8:00 pm
Saturday, October 28: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Tuesday, October 31 thru Friday, November 3: Noon - 8:00 pm
Saturday, November 4: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

For info on early voting sites in other counties, contact your County Clerk. You can find contact information for them here.