City of Rio Rancho

For Immediate Release

Nov. 19, 2009

Details for Upcoming Municipal Election Approved; New Voting Convenience Centers will be used

RIO RANCHO, N.M. - The Rio Rancho City Council has approved the guidelines that will administer the city's next regular municipal election which will take place on Tuesday, March 2, 2010.

On the ballot will be the following elective offices:

-Mayor, four-year term elected at-large

-District 2 City Councilor, four-year term

-District 3 City Councilor, four-year term

-District 5 City Councilor, four-year term

-Municipal Judge, four-year term elected at-large

For the first time in New Mexico, voters on Election Day in Rio Rancho will be able to cast their ballot at any of the five polling locations, or voting convenience centers, that will be available.

"By creating voting convenience centers and eliminating the need for individuals to identify and use a specific voting location on Election Day, we are hopeful that these centers will increase voter turnout, which for the past several municipal elections has ranged from 5.66 percent to 19.94 percent of registered voters," said City Clerk Roman Montoya. "The Secretary of State's office has approved use of this voting method in Rio Rancho, which has been used in Colorado and other parts of the country."

When voters arrive at a convenience center location, what elective offices they are eligible to vote on - which is based on their voter registration information - will be verified. After confirmation, voters will use a ballot specific to them. There is no additional cost for the city of Rio Rancho to conduct the election using voter convenience centers.

Voter convenience center locations on Election Day, which will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., will include:

-Rio Rancho City Hall, 3200 Civic Center Circle NE

-Enchanted Hills Elementary School, 5400 Obregon Road NE

-Meadowlark Senior Center, 4330 Meadowlark Lane

-Mountain View Middle School, 4101 Montreal Loop NE

-Soul Rio Community Church, 2003 Southern Blvd. SE

Applications for absentee ballots can only be obtained from Rio Rancho's Office of the City Clerk, 3200 Civic Center Circle NE, and must be completed and returned by 5 p.m. on Feb. 26, 2010. Completed absentee ballots can be returned to the clerk's office via 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 up until 7 p.m. on March 2, 2010.

Absentee ballots may be marked in person in the clerk's office during the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, from Jan. 26 until Feb. 26, 2010.

Early voting will be conducted at Rio Rancho City Hall from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, from Feb. 10, 2010, to Feb. 26, 2010.

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Peter L. Wells

Chief Communications Officer &

Assistant to the City Manager

City of Rio Rancho

3200 Civic Center Circle NE

Rio Rancho, NM 87144

Office (505) 896-8727

Fax (505) 891-7274

Cell (505) 220-6078