Roswell, New Mexico Public Records

Registration must be completed 28 days before any election, though the state allows same-day voter registration during early voting and on Election Day with proof of residency and identification. Municipal elections in the city follow a specific calendar. The mayor is elected citywide to a four-year term, while eight city council members represent four districts with two councilors per district serving staggered four-year terms. These elections occur on the first Tuesday in March during odd-numbered years, with the next contests scheduled for March 2025 and March 2027. Candidate filing information and details about local ballot measures are available through the City Clerk at 575-637-6203 and the Chaves County Clerk's election division. Voters can locate their assigned polling place using the New Mexico Voter View portal at https://voterview.sos.state.nm.us/ or by contacting the Chaves County Clerk directly. Early voting begins 28 days before Election Day at designated convenience centers, including locations throughout the area. In the November 2024 presidential election, Chaves County recorded approximately 22,000 votes cast with turnout around 58% of registered voters. The county favored Republican candidates by substantial margins, consistent with southeastern New Mexico's conservative voting patterns. The November 3, 2026 general election will feature critical races including all three U.S. House seats representing New Mexico, with District 2 covering the city. A U.S. Senate seat will be contested (Ben Ray Luján's seat following the regular cycle), along with the full New Mexico State Legislature—42 House seats and 21 Senate seats elected for two-year and four-year terms respectively. Local races include Chaves County Commission positions, county sheriff, county clerk, county assessor, county treasurer, and district court judges. Residents also participate in Fifth Judicial District Court elections and may vote on local bond issues or city charter amendments. Absentee voting is available to any registered voter in New Mexico without requiring an excuse. Voters can request an absentee ballot online through the Chaves County Clerk's website, by mail, or in person beginning 90 days before an election. Completed absentee ballots must be returned by mail (postmarked by Election Day and received within the statutory period) or delivered in person to the Chaves County Clerk's office or designated drop boxes by 7:00 PM on Election Day. Public election records in the state include voter registration lists (available for purchase by qualified requesters), campaign finance reports filed with the Secretary of State at https://www.sos.state.nm.us/voting-and-elections/campaign-finance/, candidate declarations of candidacy, precinct-level election results published by the Chaves County Clerk and Secretary of State, and early voting and absentee ballot statistics. New Mexico law protects some voter information such as social security numbers and dates of birth, but names, addresses, and voting history (whether someone voted, not how they voted) are public records.