CIBOLA COUNTY When most people think about voting, they picture the race for president. But the choices that most directly affect your daily life are often decided right here at home, and this November residents of Cibola will get the chance to choose who will be leading their community.
City councils set priorities for roads, public safety, parks, and utilities. School boards guide academic goals, facilities, and technology in classrooms. Local judges and boards influence community services and quality of life. In short: local elections are where your voice carries the farthest.
Voting is a Proud Tradition
From the nation’s founding onward, Americans have steadily broadened participation in our democracy. Over two centuries, constitutional amendments and landmark laws opened the door for more citizens to be heard—culminating in the 26th Amendment, which extended the right to vote to 18-year-olds.
That steady expansion reflects a simple, enduring idea: self-government works best when more of us take part.
Close Local Races Prove Every Vote Counts
If you’ve ever thought one vote can’t matter, history says otherwise.
The last mayoral election in the City of Grants was in 2022 and it saw current Mayor Erik Garcia elected with only eight votes. 529 to his closest opponent’s 521 votes.
Nationally, the 2000 presidential race ultimately turned on a few hundred votes in one state. And in 2016, the winner of the Electoral College prevailed by narrow margins across several swing states. Locally, margins can be even tighter: with smaller turnouts in city, village, and school board contests, sometimes only a few votes—sometimes a handful—can decide who sets policy for your street, your school, and your tax dollars.
This fall’s local ballots include Grants City Council seats, a majority of the Village of Milan government leadership, and a majority of Grants Cibola County School Board of Education leadership— plus a school capital improvements question that shapes building maintenance, technology, activity vehicles, and more for years to come.
These decisions aren’t abstract; they drive the investments, services, and accountability we see every day. When turnout is low, a small slice of the community makes those calls for everyone. When turnout is strong, the results better reflect the community as a whole.
Make a Plan, Make it Local
For official, up-todate information about dates, locations, and rules, please use trusted sources like the New Mexico Secretary of State (NMVote.org) or the Cibola County Clerk’s Office.
For those who work during the day, New Mexico law provides time off from work to vote on Election Day, with some exceptions.
New Mexico law (NMSA 1978, § 1-12-42) gives most employees up to two hours off on Election Day to vote between poll opening and closing. Your employer may choose the two-hour window. This doesn’t apply if your shift starts more than two hours after polls open or ends at least three hours before polls close. The same protection applies to elections of Indian nations, tribes, or pueblos for enrolled voters who are qualified to vote there. Denying this right is a misdemeanor (fine $50– $100).
Plan ahead with your supervisor and check your workplace policy for any verification they may request.
Your Vote is Your Voice, and Your Voice Matters!
Your Voice Matters