More than 12,000 absentee ballots have been returned as of Oct. 31, with Democrats outpacing Republicans more than 3 to 1.

Organ Mountain News report

LAS CRUCES - Doña Ana County voters have returned 12,593 absentee ballots so far, according to figures released Oct. 31 by the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office. Democrats account for the majority of those ballots — 7,827 — followed by 2,332 Republicans and 2,298 voters registered as “Decline to State.”

The county has also logged 240 same-day voter registrations. Of those, 123 were Democrats, 51 were Republicans and 60 were unaffiliated.

Statewide, election officials report 136,014 absentee ballots returned and 3,238 same-day registrations. That means Doña Ana County represents roughly 9% of absentee participation and about 7% of new registrations statewide.

Election officials expect additional absentee and early voting activity in the days ahead as New Mexico heads toward the final weekend before Election Day.