Clerk has emergency plan for election

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Rain or shine, snow or not, the elections planned Tuesday by Albuquerque Public Schools and Central New Mexico Community will go ahead, Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver said Monday.

A number of measures including reopening early voting sites are in place to make sure voters can vote, she added.

Voters in the two school districts will be filling three slots on the APS board and two on CNM's board as well as deciding a $70 million bond issue for CNM .

Late Monday Toulouse Oliver issued this statement:

County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver announces that, regardless of inclement weather, polling locations are set to open at 7 am on Tuesday.

State law does not allow for the late or non-opening of polling locations, so the county clerk’s office is putting plans into gear to ensure the election is conducted regardless of the weather.

Voters experiencing any issues or with any questions about the election should call the Clerk’s Office Bureau of Elections at 468-1291. Staff will be on hand to answer calls beginning at 6 am on Tuesday.

• Poll officials are being reminded to report at 6 am to their location and are being asked to make arrangements for reliable transportation to the polls. Poll officials have been given a contact number in case of emergency so the clerk’s office staff can ensure the election supplies arrive to the polling location on time to open at 7 am
• Sheriff’s deputies will be on-call to assist the clerk’s office in helping poll officials and/or their ballots and supplies get to the polling location on time
• County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver has been in contact with APS and APS is working with the principals at schools that are acting as polling locations to ensure staff are there to open those locations – regardless of a delay or if classes are cancelled
• In case any consolidated polling location is not open at 7 am, voters may call the clerk’s office at 468-1291 and will be directed to the polling location closest to them or to the nearest Early Voting site so they may vote provisionally
• As an emergency measure, all Early Voting sites for the APS/CNM election will be open on Tuesday - to issue provisional ballots only - for voters who cannot access their consolidated polling location due to inclement weather (a list and maps are available at www.bernco.gov/elections):
  • Clerk’s Office Annex at 620 Lomas NW
  • APS City Centre at 6400 Uptown Blvd. NE
  • CNM – BT Portable 4 at 1401 Basehart Rd. SE
  • Coors Plaza at 3200 Coors Blvd. NW
  • Rio Rancho City Hall – 3200 Civic Center Circle NE, Rio Rancho
• Polling locations that are not open at 7 am and have voters waiting could have their hours of operation extended by court order. The county clerk will acquire court orders if needed.

The County Clerk reminds voters that for the APS/CNM election polling locations are consolidated. Many voters may be voting at a different location than they normally do. Voters can check for the location of their consolidated polling location by calling 468-1291 or visiting www.bernco.gov/elections and selecting “Where Do I Vote.”