CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. — With the 2025 Regular Local Election set for Tuesday, November 4, residents of Cibola County are approaching an important deadline that will determine which names and questions appear on this year’s ballot.
Candidate Filing Day is scheduled for Tuesday, August 26, and will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Candidates must submit their declarations of candidacy in person at the Cibola County Clerk’s Office, located at 700 E. Roosevelt Avenue in Grants. The office is located inside the Old County Building—just to the left after entering through the front doors. A second filing day, only for write-in candidates, will be held on Tuesday, September 2 during the same hours.
What Will be on My Ballot?
This year’s election includes positions across the City of Grants, the Village of Milan, and the Grants-Cibola County Schools Board of Education.
Candidates for office have not yet filed to run for office, but several positions will be available for those looking to make a difference in their communities. City of Grants
In Grants, voters will choose representatives for two City Council seats: District 1, currently held by Councilman Fred Rodarte, and District 3, currently held by Councilman Zachery Gutierrez.
Gutierrez was appointed to his seat in 2024 following the election and elevation of former Councilor Erik Garcia to Mayor Garcia, Gutierrez was then appointed and confirmed to fill the remainder of the term. If Gutierrez files to retain the seat, this will mark his first appearance on the ballot.
Village of Milan
In the Village of Milan, four positions will appear on the ballot.
The mayor’s seat, currently held by Felix Gonzales, is up for election. The Mayor of Milan serves four-year terms.
Two trustee positions, held by Chris Archuleta and James Mercer, will also be on the ballot. A Milan Trustee serves fouryear terms.
The final Milan position is the municipal judge seat, currently held by Willie Jaramillo. This seat is for a two-year term.
In the Village of Milan, all positions are elected at-large, meaning there are no specific districts.
Grants Cibola County School District
Grants-Cibola County Schools will hold elections for three of its five Board of Education seats.
The positions up for election will be District 1, held by Emily Hunt-Dailey; District 2, held by T. Walter Jaramillo; and District 3, held by Ron Ortiz. All three positions are four-year terms.
In addition to the school board races, voters will also be asked to weigh in on a Capital Improvements Tax Question. If approved, the measure would continue the existing $2 per $1,000 property tax rate that helps fund maintenance, equipment, technology, and other infrastructure needs throughout the district. This is not a new tax but a continuation of one already in place.
Is the election cycle different than the past?
Voters unfamiliar with the change in timing should note that both the City of Grants and the Village of Milan opted into New Mexico’s Regular Local Election cycle following resolutions passed in 2025.
This means their local elections will now align with the statewide November ballot rather than occurring in March as they did in previous years, as required by the City of Grants Charter. The goal behind this change, according to local and state officials, is to increase voter turnout and streamline election administration across the multiple jurisdictions in Cibola County.
Editor’s Note: The City of Grants, prior to adopting this ordinance, had the power to administer its own election. Despite the violation to their own governing charter, the Grants City Council voted to align the city with the state’s election cycle to reduce the burden and cost-impact of running their own election. The elections for the City of Grants will now be managed by the Cibola County Clerk and NM Secretary of State. When the Village of Milan passed a similar ordinance aligning the village with the state, they had no charter to violate and fell within state law.
How Do I Run for Office?
For those considering a run for office, the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office is offering two virtual candidate training sessions this summer.
The trainings are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Monday, July 29, and 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 7. Both sessions will cover how to qualify for the ballot, reporting requirements, and what to expect during the campaign.
The sessions are hosted through Microsoft Teams, and interested participants can RSVP by emailing BC Nguyen at bc.nguyen@sos.nm.gov. A link to the training will be sent to all who register.
To vote in the 2025 Regular Local Election, residents must meet the eligibility requirements established under state law. A person must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of New Mexico, at least 18 years old by Election Day, and not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction. Individuals on probation or parole are eligible to register and vote in New Mexico. Voter registration is available online at NMVote.org for those with a New Mexicoissued identification card, including expired driver’s licenses.
Voters can also register by mail or in person at the County Clerk’s Office. First-time registrants who submit their applications by mail must include a copy of a valid photo ID, utility bill, paycheck stub, or other government-issued document that includes their name and current address.
Anyone who has moved, changed their name, or wishes to update their party affiliation must submit a new voter registration form before the deadline.
Permanent ballot drop boxes will be available during the election at both 700 E. Roosevelt Avenue and 600 W. Santa Fe Avenue in Grants. Election Day voting will run from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at polling sites across the county, including at the County Clerk’s Office.
For questions about filing, registration, or election logistics, residents can contact the Bureau of Elections at (505) 285-2541 or visit NMVote.org. The Cibola County Clerk’s Office is also available at (505) 285-2535 or by mail at P.O. Box 190, Grants, NM 87020.\\ As the August 26 filing date approaches, the Citizen will continue to keep readers informed about who’s running, what’s on the ballot, and how to make sure your vote counts.