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Update:

9:43 p.m.: Albuquerque Public Schools’ and Central New Mexico Community College’s bonds and mill levy have passed with strong support from voters in spite of recent controversy over early voting sites.

Results were roughly in line with past bond/mill levy elections at 65 percent approval for both the CNM’s $84-million general obligation bond and APS’ $375-millon mill levy. APS’ $200-million bond came in even higher with backing from 69.7 percent of voters.

Just after 9:30 p.m., the Bernalillo County Clerk’s Office released the following unofficial results with all 31 voting sites reporting:

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APS $375 million mill levy

Yes: 18,999 (65.39 percent)

No: 10,056 (34.61 percent)

APS $200 million general obligation bond

Yes: 19,740 (69.67 percent)

No: 8,593 (30.33 percent)

CNM $84 million general obligation bond

Yes: 20,396 (65.40 percent)

No: 10,790 (34.60 percent)

Turnout was strong at around 7 percent — over 30,000 people cast ballots — roughly double the average, according to Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver.

School bonds and mill levies generally pass with overwhelming support, and outcry over early voting sites was not enough to buck the trend.

In the weeks leading up to the election, some in the northwest quadrant had argued that they were intentionally shortchanged because the five initial polling places were clustered in the east, central and southwest areas of the city.

APS and CNM added two additional early voting locations in the northwest on Jan. 23, 10 days after the other sites opened, and strongly denied that they intended to disenfranchise anyone.

APS Acting Superintendent Raquel Reedy looked happy as results started to come in this evening.

“I really have faith that people will always have the best interests of the children at heart,” she said during a party at Seasons Rotisserie and Grill paid for by the APS advocacy group YES! For Our Children’s Future.

7:15 p.m.: Early and absentee voters came out in strong support for three bond and mill levy questions that would generate $575 million for Albuquerque Public Schools and $84 million for Central New Mexico Community College.

Shortly after 7 p.m., prior to any of the 31 Election Day vote centers reporting, the Bernalillo County Clerk’s Office released the following unofficial results based on those voters who cast ballots in the weeks leading up to the election:

APS $375 million mill levy

Yes: 6,212 (62.3 percent)

No: 3,760 (37.7 percent)



APS $200 million general obligation bond

Yes: 6,416 (66.2 percent)

No: 3,277 (33.8 percent)



CNM $84 million general obligation bond

Yes: 6,929 (63 percent)

No: 4,066 (37 percent)

Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver told the Journal that more than 20,300 voters participated in this year’s election, representing a turnout in excess of 6 percent.

This is a developing story. Check back later tonight for updates.

Update:



3:27 p.m.:

La Cueva High School in the city’s far Northeast Heights was the busiest polling location visited by a Journal reporter on Tuesday and perhaps most hectic.

Again, the audience was mostly older, and many voted in support of both bonds.

Voters could not park in the main parking lot entrance off Wyoming and Wilshire. Earlier during the day, some voters parked in the school’s visitors lot and walked to the front entrance only to find signs saying,

“ Not a voter entrance, to vote please enter at the Alameda light.”

Later in the day, some placed a hastily scrawled sign in front of the visitor’s lot, redirecting motorists to the school’s gymnasium on Alameda Boulevard.

But another sign said voters couldn’t park in the lot adjacent to the gym. Most voters ignored that sign and parked regardless.

Barbara Tarazon was using a walker to stabilize herself on Tuesday afternoon. She said she would have appreciated some handicap-designated spaces closer to the polls, but otherwise didn’t have issues finding the venue. That’s a sentiment echoed by married couple Jean and Bob Gibson. He needs a cane to walk, and the distance proved challenging he said.

A spokesman with the Bernalillo County Clerk’s Office said he hadn’t heard any complaints as of Tuesday afternoon, but that he would check for issues.

Update:



12:55 p.m.: Highland High School in central Albuquerque was one of the busier voting locations during the Tuesday lunch hour.

Of the half-dozen people interviewed at the polls, all said they voted to support the bonds.

Married couple Clyde Milner, 67, and Carol O’Connor, 69, said they chose to retire in the city. Though they don’t have children in the school system, they want to see the city thrive.

“I support efforts to have a quality education, and I am willing to pay for it,” Milner said.

Aly Valdez, 27, works for APS at the Career Enrichment Center and said she voted in favor of the bonds. She said she has seen the ailing infrastructure firsthand.

And Jennifer Facio, 39, an architect, said the bond would stimulate job growth in her field.

Update:

11:40 a.m.: Voters at the CNM South Valley campus were a mixture of students and neighboring residents. Most were in favor of both bonds.

Jim Connolly, 68, a retired University of New Mexico professor, said the schools are always in need and the state has little money to support them, so he voted for the bond.

Kim Duberry, 26, is a CNM student.

“I can see in person how much help the campuses need,” she said.

Duberry said this was her first time voting in a bond election.

Bryan Romero, 48, a retired city employee and current bus driver for APS, said he voted against both measures. He said that as a single parent he feels that he already pays too much in taxes and questioned if he could afford more.

But even though he voted no, he is not sure his opinion will carry much weight.

“I think it will go through,” he said.

Many people at polls said they voted for the bond but felt that the administration needed reform, citing the termination of former Superintendent Luis Valentino among other issues.

“We need to have better management,” said voter Robert Schiller. “They’re not addressing the issue of being too top heavy.”

Schiller declined to share how he voted.

Earlier Tuesday:

Clouds and a light dusting of snow Tuesday morning marked the beginning of voting on bond issues worth nearly half a billion dollars for Albuquerque Public Schools and Central New Mexico Community College.

Most voters interviewed at the Petroglyphs Elementary School on Tuesday morning voted in favor of the bonds. Married couple Lance and Lynette Milford said they have seen aging buildings at schools such as La Cueva and Rio Grande firsthand.

“They’re substandard and it’s time to do something about it,” said Lance Milford, who works at the bioengineering firm Genentech.

Lynette Mildford is a teacher at a private school, and the couple have a child at La Cueva High School.

Connie Smith, 63, retired, voted for the CNM bond but against the APS bond. She said a proposed health care facility for APS employees swayed her vote. She did say she would have voted in favor of individual infrastructure projects if that were an option.

Most of the voters seen Tuesday morning were in their late 40s to early 60s. And of the near dozen interviewed at two polling locations, most voted in favor of the bonds.

Jeff Burns, 56, voted at Del Norte High School on Tuesday morning to support the bond issue because he knows the students and district are in need of new buildings. But he wanted to send a message to APS district leaders.

“You have to get your act together,” he said.

Elizabeth Gatica, 54, voted to support the APS bond, and was the first voter at Del Norte High School. She is also a teacher there, so she said she knows the district needs the money.

Gatica voted against the CNM bond issue, saying the college hadn’t made it clear how they would spend the money.

Steven Vasquez, 38, said he voted in favor of both bonds. Vasquez, an engineer, said he believes the money could improve the schools and the college in the long run. But he said the main reason for his support was for the future jobs the bond money would create.

APS has the most at stake – $575 million to fund more than 30 projects like school renovations, technology upgrades, security and ADA compliance. That amount is divided between the $375 million mill levy and a $200 million general obligation bond, which are presented as separate items on the ballot.

Approval would fund two new West Side schools, including the $50 million Northwest K-8, the largest single project, which is designed to alleviate crowding at Painted Sky Elementary School and Jimmy Carter Middle School.

Voters also will be asked to weigh in on CNM’s $84 million bond to fund plans for 19 projects across the community college’s five campuses.

Voting started at 7 a.m. and concludes at 7 p.m.

Polling locations map

Election Day voting locations

Polls are open today at the following sites today from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.:

AMREP Building, 333 Rio Rancho Drive NE, Rio Rancho

APS City Center, 6400 Uptown Blvd. NE

Arroyo del Oso Elementary School, 6504 Harper Drive NE

Cabezon Community Center, 2307 Cabezon Blvd. SE, Rio Rancho

Chaparral Elementary School, 6325 Milne Road NW

Clerk’s Annex, 1500 Lomas Blvd. NW

CNM Main Campus, 1401 Basehart Road SE

CNM Montoya Campus, 4700 Morris St. NE

CNM South Valley Campus, 5816 Isleta Blvd. SW

CNM Westside Campus, 10549 Universe Blvd. NW

Corrales Elementary School, 200 Target Road, Corrales

Del Norte High School, 5323 Montgomery Blvd. NE

Desiderio Community Center, 177 Tribal Road 7039, ToHajiilee

Highland High School, 4700 Coal Ave. SE

Jackson Middle School, 10600 Indian School Road NE

La Cueva High School, 7801 Wilshire Ave. NE

Los Ranchos Elementary School, 7609 Fourth St. NW

Manzano High School, 12200 Lomas Blvd. NE

Manzano Mesa Elementary School, 801 Elizabeth St. SE

McKinley Middle School, 4500 Comanche Road NE

Montessori of the Rio Grande, 1650 Gabaldon Drive NW

Montezuma Elementary School, 3100 Indian School Road NE

Oñate Elementary School, 12415 Brentwood Hills Blvd. NE

Petroglyph Elementary School, 5100 Marna Lynn Ave. NW

Rio Grande High School, 2300 Arenal Road SW

Rio Rancho CNM Campus, 2601 Campus Blvd. NE, Rio Rancho

Truman Middle School, 9400 Benavides Road SW

Valley High School, 1505 Candelaria Road NW

Vista Grande Community Center, 15 La Madera Road, Sandia Park

West Mesa High School, 6701 Fortuna Road NW

Zia Elementary School, 4400 Jefferson St. NE