Few problems greet Albuquerque voters

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Election Day morning went pretty smoothly for Albuquerque voters, according to City Clerk Randy Attio.

At midday Tuesday, Attio said most precincts for the election were reporting no lines, but a steady stream of voters, who are choosing a mayor, half of the city councilors and several bond issues.

Attio said there were about six slowdowns Tuesday morning at precincts where machines were slow to warm up, but said the problems appear to have been fixed.

Voters dealing with the problems cast emergency paper ballots.

"It's run through the machine later when the machine's working, or it's counted by hand, but it gets counted one way or another," Attio said.

The race has been heated, so officials said there could be an afternoon rush.

More than 10,000 absentee ballots have been handed in, and another 10,000 people voted early, leading many to believe that the turnout will be stronger than the 32 percent turnout in the last mayor's race four years ago.

Voters should check the Bernalillo County Clerk's Web site to find out where they vote, because many precincts have been consolidated. Also, voters who received absentee ballots but need to return them on Tuesday need to do so at the city clerk's office in downtown Albuquerque, not their polling place.