County clerk outlines elections operations, new bureau facility and repurposing of mobile voting unit

Lede: Bernalillo County Clerk Michelle Kavanaugh presented the Clerk's Office budget on April 10 and said the County's Bureau of Elections needs improved facilities. Staff are negotiating a lease for a site near the Carpenter's Union that would provide more square footage for equipment, training and operations currently being run from a substandard warehouse.

Nut graf: The clerk said the countymobile voting unit will be repurposed as an outreach and educational tool in non-election months while continuing to operate as a mobile convenience voting location during elections. The office also reported vacancies in recording and filing staff, long customer-facing hours at the Alvarado building and technology work to introduce a self-service recording tool.

Body: The clerk described a 12% FY26 increase over FY25 driven primarily by salary changes from market adjustments. The office has 61 authorized positions and 14 vacancies at the time of the presentation, though bureau-of-elections vacancy levels were smaller. The clerk noted statutory obligations that require the county to run elections and said federal/state grant uncertainty adds planning complexity and cost pressure. Commissioners and the clerk discussed options to increase use and visibility of the mobile unit during elections, and the clerk invited commissioners to suggest sites for convenience centers and outreach.

Ending: Commissioners encouraged continued work on the leased facility, greater use of the mobile voting unit at high-traffic locations, and coordination with schools and community partners to expand access. The clerk said staff would follow up with commissioners about potential new voting site locations.