Early voting up in Clovis, slow in Portales

It’s a tale of two cities when it comes to municipal election turnout.

In Clovis, there are 19 candidates running, with five people running for the open mayor position, seven others running for an open District 1 commission spot and four of the five other races contested.

City Clerk LeighAnn Melancon reported early voting was over 1,400 at Thursday’s Clovis city commission meeting. That was already the highest early vote total according to city records dating back to 2000. By Friday afternoon that number had risen to 1,635.

That is compared to 846 in 2018 when there were two contested commission races and three bond issues, 1,149 in 2012 and 1,252 in 2008 — the last two elections featuring contested mayor’s races. When each of those elections concluded, early turnout was roughly a quarter of the total turnout.

Early voting for Portales ... not so much. City Clerk Joan Martinez-Terry said just 55 ballots had been cast early Friday afternoon, and she anticipated a slow Tuesday at the polls.

Of the four city council races, three are uncontested with Daniel Boan running against incumbent Jessica Yi in Ward B.

Early voting continued through Saturday.

Election day polls will run 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday at the following locations:

• Clovis: Colonial Golf Course, 1300 Colonial Parkway; Roy Walker Community Center, 316 W. Second St .; Trinity United Methodist Church, 1320 W. 21st St; Clovis Fire Station No. 5, 220 E Brady St .; Clovis Aquatic Center, 1700 E. 7th St. Ballots may be cast at any site, regardless of voter’s district.

• Portales: Memorial Building, 200 E. Seventh St.

• Texico: Texico Community Center, 215 Griffin St.