March 6, 2012 Municipal Election

The Rio Rancho Governing Body has approved the guidelines that will administer the city's next regular municipal election on Tuesday, March 6, 2012. On the ballot will be three City Council seats and nine city Charter amendment questions.

Ballot Questions

Those filing their declaration of candidacy by the Jan. 10, 2012, deadline and receiving certification from the Office of the City Clerk as eligible candidates include:

• District 1 City Councilor, Four-Year Term
  Michael J. Williams
  Chuck Wilkins
• District 4 City Councilor, Four-Year Term
  Roberta M. Radosevich
  Mark S. Scott
  Steven L. Shaw
• District 6 City Councilor, Four-Year Term
  Lonnie Clayton
  Helene Joy Apper
  Marilyn Salzman
  Kathleen M. Colley

If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the total votes cast in the March 6, 2012, regular election, the candidates with the highest and second-highest vote totals from the regular election will be subject to a runoff election. The runoff election will be held between 35 days to 45 days after the canvass of the regular election is completed. The runoff election date will be set by vote of the Rio Rancho Governing Body at one of their regular meetings.

Also on the March 6 ballot will be nine questions pertaining to proposed city Charter amendments. See below for proposition 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35. Charter amendment questions originate from a citizen Charter Review Committee that submitted recommendations to the Rio Rancho Governing Body for consideration and approval to be placed on the ballot.

View Proposition 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35 (MS Word / PDF).

Election Day Voting

Voters on Election Day, March 6, 2012, will be able to cast their ballot at any of four polling locations, or voting convenience centers, that will be available. Voting convenience center locations on Election Day will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and will include:

• Rio Rancho City Hall, 3200 Civic Center Circle
• Meadowlark Senior Center, 4330 Meadowlark Lane
• Mountain View Middle School, 4101 Montreal Loop
• Soul Rio Community Church, 2003 Southern Blvd.

Early and Absentee Voting

Early voting will be conducted at Rio Rancho City Hall during the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, from Feb. 15 through March 2, 2012.

Applications for absentee ballots can only be obtained from Rio Rancho's Office of the City Clerk beginning Jan. 31, 2012. Absentee ballot applications must be completed and accepted by the Office of the City Clerk by 5 p.m. on March 2, 2012.

Completed absentee ballots can be returned to the Office of the City Clerk via mail, in person by the voter casting the absentee ballot, by a member of the voter's immediate family, or by the caregiver to the voter until 7 p.m. on March 6, 2012.

Absentee ballots may be marked in person in the Office of the City Clerk at Rio Rancho City Hall during the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, from Jan. 31 through March 2, 2012.

Voter Registration

City of Rio Rancho residents 18 years of age and older who wish to vote and are not already registered to vote, must register with their respective county clerk's office no later than 5 p.m. on Feb. 7, 2012.

For more information about registering to vote, the Sandoval County Clerk's office can be reached at (505) 867-7572, or on the Sandoval County website. The Bernalillo County Clerk's office can be reached at (505) 468-1290, or on the Bernalillo County website.

Questions

Those who have questions regarding absentee, early and Election Day voting can contact Rio Rancho's Office of the City Clerk at (505) 891-5004.

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