Our Primary Election Night coverage begins at 6:30 on public radio KANW 89.1 FM and  KANW.COM. Be sure to join us for the evey latest results and expert analysis. 

Bernalillo County results will be available here. Santa Fe county results here and all statewide results from the Secretary of State here.

We're not going to crush it when it comes to voter turnout for today's primary. We could drop below the 20 percent benchmark which is on the historic low side (25.4 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in Primary '22.)

This year there are 1,011,000 Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians eligible to vote. To reach a 20 percent turnout we will have to hit about 202,000.

The SOS says early and absentee voting came in at 117,251 as of Monday morning--72,440 Democrats, 44,483 Republicans and 327 Libertarians.

Statewide registered voters total 1,337,000 when independents and other voters not eligible to vote today are included.

Percentage wise, the Dems have 43.3 percent; the GOP 31.2; independents; 23.5 with the remainder Libertarian or "other" parties. 

While the percentage of Democrats has slowly declined over the years, the propensity of Democrats to vote their own party appears to have grown, explaining their domination in statewide elections, especially in the cities of ABQ, Santa Fe and Las Cruces, 

That does not appear about to change. 

In fact Republicans like former NMGOP Chairman Harvey Yates, Jr. and conservative Democrat Jeff Apodaca find themselves on the same page in trying to tilt the Democrats to a more centrist position rather than trying to build a GOP that has been truly decimated. 

Not one statewide office today is held by the GOP nor either chamber of the legislature, the governorship or the state Supreme Court. 

Today's election will be a test primarily of the progressives who began to dominate state politics following their big wins over conservative Democrats in the June 2020 primary election. Will the pendulum swing back a bit this year? That's one of the key questions for tonight as we monitor the face-offs between progressive and conservative Dems in a number of state House and Senate primaries. 

VOTING TODAY

It has become customary for early and absentee ballots to considerably outnumber those cast on the actual election day. In big BernCo Clerk Linda Stover has voting info for the minority of voters who will trek to the polls today:  

72 election day voting convenience centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters can cast their ballots in person or hand-deliver completed absentee ballots by 7 p.m. "If you're in line by 7 p.m., you will be able to vote," said Stover. Find the nearest voting center and access unofficial results after 7 p.m. here. 

SOS Maggie Toulouse Oliver says same-day voter registration is available on Election Day at polling locations. Those who wish to change their party affiliation can update their registration at polling locations. 

TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT 

Monahan anchoring Election Night

President Biden and Republican Donald Trump are expected to score overwhelming majorities at the primary polls today but the Biden campaign will be closely watching their exact percentage of victory. 

How many Dems will choose to vote for Marianne Williamson who is also on the ballot?

And what about the movement to have New Mexico Democrats vote the "uncommitted" line on the presidential ballot to show disagreement with the Biden policy on the Israeli-Palestinian war? 

For the GOP Nikki Haley and others will also be on the ballot. Will she make it to the 15 percent mark that election pros say could signal a bit of weakness for Trump? She has elsewhere. But since then has endorsed the Trump candidacy.

We'll have those answers and more when we gather for our traditional wall-to-wall KANW Election Night coverage. Our guests include Dem State Reps. Joy Garratt and Day Hochman-Vigil, GOP consultant Bob Cornelius and Dem consultant Sisto Abeyta. We]ll also have candidate interviews and even more analysis throughout the night.

We look forward to having you with us once again for the state's most comprehensive broadcast election coverage.

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.