OUR WALL-TO WALL ELECTION NIGHT COVERAGE BEGINS AT 6:30 P.M. ON KANW 89.1 FM IN ABQ AND SANTA FE. LISTEN HERE FROM ANYWHERE.

The endless election campaign is finally ending and there will be a lot of New Mexicans who are more than ready to celebrate the cessation of hostilities. It was so unsettling and dispiriting that there will probably be more than a few takers for this event in Santa Fe tonight:

On election night, the Sage Inn will be offering three specialty cocktails--The Hope, The Prayer, and The Kiss the Nation Goodbye. Also, a complimentary close-of-the-evening champagne toast, and a $50.00 per night room rate, which includes an 'American' continental breakfast.


After what Mr. and Mrs. New Mexico and the nation have been put through most patrons will likely avail themselves of all three cocktails as well as the champagne. This outlandish campaign has taken its toll:

An overwhelming majority of voters are disgusted by the state of American politics, and many harbor doubts that either major-party nominee can unite the country after a historically ugly presidential campaign, according to the final pre-election New York Times/CBS News Poll. In a grim preview of the discontent that may cloud at least the outset of the next president’s term, Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump are seen by a majority of voters as unlikely to bring the country back together after this bitter election season.

TURNOUT TALLY

So just how many voters cast their ballots early? The answer is more than anytime before. 524,000 early and absentee votes have been recorded. If the punditocracy is right and  total turnout comes in at about 800,000, that means about 66 percent of the vote is already in. In Bernalillo County that number will probably be even higher.

When the early vote comes in tonight, we will be able to call many races simply because there are not enough votes cast on the actual election day to make up for large deficits. It will be a very early night indeed for many of our candidates.

PARTY TIME

NM Democrats gather at the downtown ABQ Hotel Andaluz. Nearby the Republicans will gather for their party at the ABQ Convention Center. Both events are free and open to the public.

ELECTION NIGHT COVERAGE

We had a lively and insightful Election Eve Special on KANW 89.1 FM Monday and much of the same team--with the addition of former state legislator Lenton Malry--will be back at the public radio microphones tonight:

Democratic consultant Sisto Abeyta, former BernCo GOP Chairman Rick Abraham, longtime Dem activist Sandy Buffet and onetime ABQ GOP State Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones. Longtime contributor Steve Cabiedes will also check in as will photographer Mark Bralley. Kevin Otero is our producer.

The action tonight in La Poltica is not so much the presidential race, which in New Mexico is widely expected to go to Clinton but the battle for control of the New Mexico House of Representatives and several swing seats in the state senate. And, of course, Gov. Martinez's revenge campaign to take out state Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez in Valencia County.

We will have the most comprehensive and timely coverage in the stat of that legislative action. In 2012 we were the first media outlet to announce the news that the House was going to the Republicans for the first time in 60 years. What will be announcing this year? That the Democrats are back in control or that the Republicans held on to the 70 member chamber? Or something that we can't recall ever happening--a 35 to 35 tie?

You won't miss a legislative beat when you tune in. As Lenton Malry says, "We're going to be on it like white on rice."

AN EDUCATED GUESS

So we swore off predictions long ago but we're weak and we're back with our cracked crystal ball. Here's our guess on the outcome of the presidential race tonight in New Mexico:

Clinton--46, Trump 42, Johnson 7, Stein 3 and 1 percent for the other five candidates.

A poll of the state associated with the conservative Breitbart website, which supports Trump, has Clinton 8 points ahead in the state. It was taken Nov. 1 and 2.

THE BOTTOM LINES

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2016