An Albuquerque resident said voting in this election is not only vital to determine the next president but also to legislative control in his home state.
In an interview with the Albuquerque Times, Keith Dotson’s perspective seems representative of trends nationwide where more than 49 million people have voted early, the U.S. Elections Project reported, mainly because of COVID-19 fears and policy changes.
The 49 million voters, according to the U.S. Elections Project, represents 35.8% of the people who voted in the 2016 elections.
In New Mexico, where early voting is underway, more than 440,000 people have cast their ballots as of Oct. 23, according to U.S. Elections Project statistics, in a state that historically is mostly controlled by Democrats.
Dotson said that it’s vital to him to participate in the election, and he intends to vote in each race on the ballot.
“I’m of the opinion that our selection of a president during this election has critical implications for going forward in America and retaining our status as a republic form of government,” Dotson told the Albuquerque Times.
However, he is concerned about the single-party control currently that dominates New Mexico’s state government.
“We have seen some very troubling results from that,” he told the Times.
Democratic policies, such as the continued shutdown of the state months after the COVID-19 crisis began, presented threats to residents’ mental and physical health, Dotson said. But with one party holding the majority of legislative power, there is no one to stand up for those residents, he said.
Dotson told the Times that single-party control for approximately 80 years resulted in the state ranking “poorly” compared to the rest of the country in nearly every category. He thinks the Republican Party has put together a slate of candidates who have a chance of changing New Mexico’s status.
“I think we need [a] change in New Mexico, and I feel like change is coming,” he told the Times.
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