LAS CRUCES – Thousands of residents of Doña Ana County went to the polls Tuesday, with many highlighting the importance of the Las Cruces Public School Committee races.
By noon Tuesday noon, around 9,500 ballots had been cast in the election, including seats on Las Cruces City Council, seats for LCPS board members, school bond issues and various other races for communities, school districts and water authorities across the county. This number includes the numbers for the early voting, the numbers of the election day and a fraction of the postal votes.
Doña Ana district official Amanda López Askin said the morning had gone well and there were minimal problems. The turnout was constant but relatively low. The low turnout was disappointing, she said.
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“The local elections have an impact that affects us every day,” said López Askin. “When our constituents are not engaged and don’t participate, it has a really big impact on our community.”
Cynthia Pelak, an election worker at Camino Real Middle School Tuesday, said she lived outside of Las Cruces but in the county, initially thinking she would not vote this year. However, she realized that there were other questions on the ballot. The Las Cruces school board, which covers an area larger than the city, was particularly important to Pelak, who said they did not want to see any barriers to the development of a culturally and linguistically appropriate curriculum.
“I hope the path towards justice and education continues,” she said.
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Gabe Jacquez voted Tuesday morning at Las Cruces Town Hall, saying he was looking for people to help the district “build our future.” He added that he believed he found this person on his ballot.
A woman named Catherine, who refused to give her last name, said she wasn’t interested in politics and would rather see people in the school board who “really” care about education. She explained that developing character and morals is important for children, but needs to be modeled from above.
“If our administration doesn’t model this for our teachers and our teachers don’t model this for our students, then start at the top and work your way down,” Catherine said. “I’m vicious, I think let’s start cleaning the house.”
In the more rural areas of the county, dozens of voters flocked to the polling stations on Tuesday morning.
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Chamberino’s Maureen and Gene Tarkington didn’t have much on the ballot. But they still showed up at their polling station to vote on the Gadsden Independent School District’s bond and for a candidate on the Doña Ana Soil and Water Conservation Board.
In Anthony, resident Virginia Herrera hoped for a change in her community. She told Sun News that she hopes her voice will be used to redesign the streets of Anthony and create more activities for children.
In Anthony, three candidates run for mayor, four for the board of trustees and two for the office of magistrate.
While Herrera was voting with a few questions in mind, 21-year-old Anthony Noe Dominguez knew a candidate.
“I voted for someone I knew in high school. He’s a good person, ”said Dominguez.
He said he doesn’t usually vote in off-year elections – which usually don’t include state or federal races – but made an exception because of his personal ties with a candidate.
Polling stations across the entire district close at 7 p.m.
Leah Romero is the trend reporter for Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached on Twitter at 575-418-3442, [email protected] or @rromero_leah. Justin Garcia is a public safety reporter for Las Cruces Sun-News. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 575-541-5449 or on Twitter at @ Just516garc.
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