The clock has wound down at the Doña Ana County Clerk’s Office as the Election Board paused tallying votes for Tuesday night. As reported by the Doña Ana County Clerk's Office, the board will reconvene Wednesday morning to continue the important task of counting ballots.

Efforts on election night left the team with approximately 1,000 absentee ballots yet to be processed, and election day also saw the casting of some 70 provisional ballots. Under New Mexico State law, specifically referred to in NMSA 1-6-14-K, the absentee voter election board is permitted to quickly adjourn at 11:00 p.m. and to resume proceedings between 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. the following day until the count is complete.

As the community holds its collective breath waiting for outcomes, this procedural delay is a reminder of the thorough nature of the democratic process. The Election Board's adherence to statutory guidelines notwithstanding, the anticipation throughout Doña Ana County is evident as the final vote tallies have the potential to sway key decisions and positions.

The delayed results are not unprecedented, and while they generate great suspense for an already high-stakes election, they are indicative of the due diligence required to ensure every vote is accounted for. According to the stipulations set out in NMSA 1-6-14-K, as per the Doña Ana County Clerk's Office, the board will "continue its work only between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. on each subsequent day until the board has completed its work."

A return to the count is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 6, where the remaining ballots will be processed. The citizens of Doña Ana County await the results, knowing that the democratic wheels turn forward, anchored by rules meant to safeguard the integrity of their collective decision.