In New Mexico’s most populous county, Democrats have utilized early voting more than their Republican counterparts. According to the latest numbers from the Bernalillo County Clerk, 33,752 Democrats have cast early ballots so far. This compares to 15,552 Republicans.

Overall, 57,052 people have voted early in person as of Saturday.

Democrats had a smaller advantage in absentee ballots returned by Saturday. Democrats had slightly more than 20,000 absentee ballots turned in, while Republicans had 15,700.

So far, 40,146 people have returned absentee ballots in Bernalillo County.

This makes 97,198 people who have already cast their ballots this year, with four more days of early voting in the county to go.

In 2004 the New York Times wrote about a Republican advantage in early voting in New Mexico:

In New Mexico, for instance, where more than half the votes are cast early in many races, it is not uncommon for election outcomes there to be reversed in the Republicans’ favor by the counting of those early ballots.

This year, with the huge early vote efforts of presidential candidate Barack Obama and the Democratic Party, that trend may reverse itself.

The overall numbers of those voting early are on pace to eclipse 2004’s record mark. The Daily Lobo spoke to then-Bernalillo County Clerk Mary Herrera in 2004.

Early voters – 81,785 of them – turned out in record numbers. Their ballots and absentee ballots will make counting slower on Election Day, Herrera said.

Approximately 69,224 absentee ballots were mailed out this year, 55,571 of which have been returned.