Amid rushing the kids to school, zipping through a busy day at work, squeezing in a few other chores and picking the kids up from soccer, gymnastics or guitar lessons, finding time to cast your election-day ballot as important as it may be sometimes falls by the wayside.
That’s especially the case if your memory is a bit fuzzy about where to vote. Was it Alameda Elementary School? Or that community center a few streets away? Or just possibly that neighborhood church used two years ago?
County officials said they’re hoping a proposal up for consideration Tuesday will streamline the process of election-day voting and make it more accessible to voters.
The proposal would change the way the county hosts election-day voting moving it from precinct-based polling places to at-large voting centers.
Instead of voting at a designated precinct or casting a provisional ballot if you show up at the wrong precinct you’d visit to any one of 39 voting centers throughout Doña Ana County, said County Clerk Lynn Ellins, a Democrat.
“They can go anywhere they want,” he said. “They can take time off at lunch, if they want to, and vote near the office, vote near the school. There are a number of counties around the state that are going to be doing this.” Doña Ana County voters expressed mixed opinions about the idea.
“That’d be neat more convenient,” said Rebecca Sanchez, 29, a Las Cruces resident. “Maybe more people would vote that way. What if they work outside of their district and they don’t have time to drive to the other side of town or take time off of work?”
Full Article: County considers using at-large voting centers – Las Cruces Sun-News.