Absentee Voting


Voters may cast an absentee ballot or vote in person at an early voting location prior to Election Day.  New Mexico does not require an excuse to vote with an absentee ballot. Absentee voting begins on Tuesday, October 8th, 2024, for the 2024 General Election. Request an absentee ballot by filling out an application and returning it to the Los Alamos County Clerk or applying online.

Your ballot MUST arrive at the Clerk's Office by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day. We recommend mailing your ballot by Tuesday, October 29, 2024, or returning it in person to one of our Polling Sites or Drop Boxes.


Request a Ballot

Applications can be obtained by:

You can apply for an Absentee Ballot online or send a paper request to the County Clerk's Office at 1000 Central Avenue, Suite 240, Los Alamos, NM 87544

  • The deadline to apply online is 12 midnight on Tuesday, October 22, 2024.
  • The deadline to submit an application directly to the Clerk's Office is 5 PM on Tuesday, October 22, 2024.

Apply for an Absentee Ballot Online

Download a Paper Application(PDF, 342KB)


Requests must be made by this deadline in order for the absentee ballot to be mailed by the Los Alamos County Clerk in a timely manner pursuant to the election code. A ballot will be sent to voters who have properly filled out the application matching their voter record.  If the application was not completed correctly, a notification with the reason why the application was not accepted will be sent within 24 hours of receipt of the application.

If you do not receive the absentee ballot, please contact our office no later than Tuesday, October 29, 2024.

Return Your Ballot

All absentee ballots may be returned via USPS, hand delivered to the Los Alamos County Clerk’s Office, placed in an official drop box or given to an election poll worker at any early voting or election day site in Los Alamos County. 

Polling Sites and Drop Boxes

Absentee Ballots must be physically returned no later than 7:00 PM on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.  Postmarks do not count; the ballot must be physically received by 7:00 PM Election Day.


Who can deliver the absentee ballot back to the County Clerk?

Section 1-6-10.1, NMSA 1978
A.   A voter, caregiver to that voter or member of that voter's immediate family or household may deliver that voter's absentee ballot to the county clerk in person or by mail; provided that the voter has subscribed the official mailing envelope of the absentee ballot. 
B.  As used in this section, "immediate family" means the spouse, children, parents, domestic partner, grandchildren, grandparents or siblings of a voter or a person with whom the voter has a continuing personal relationship.


What if I do not receive my absentee ballot?   

If you apply for, but do not receive the absentee ballot, you may apply for a replacement absentee ballot by communicating with the Los Alamos County Clerk and requesting a replacement mailed ballot and executing an affidavit.  The County Clerk can then void the previously mailed ballot. (Section 1-6-16 (B), NMSA 1978).

You may also go to your polling place and vote on a replacement absentee ballot on Election Day, after signing an affidavit of non-receipt of absentee ballot (Section 1-6-16.1(A), NMSA 1978).

In both cases, you will be required to sign a sworn statement, under penalty of perjury, that you did not receive your ballot.

 

Military & Overseas Voters

Absentee voting for those in the military, their families, and overseas residents is governed by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). Your voter registration for must be updated at least 28 days before election day. You may request to receive your ballot via mail or email.

Request a Ballot for Overseas Voting