The short version.
A plain-language guide to how county ballot access works in every one of New Mexico's 33 counties. County candidates in New Mexico file locally with their County Clerk, not the Secretary of State. Every filing door for the 2026 cycle has already closed -- the major-party declaration of candidacy day was Tuesday, March 10, 2026, and the single statewide day for minor-party, independent and write-in candidates was Thursday, June 25, 2026 -- but the November 3, 2026 general election is still ahead, and this guide covers when the next filing window is expected to open. It also carries your county's Clerk, the office that runs county elections and accepts every county candidate's filing.
New Mexico's county officers -- Commissioner, Clerk, Assessor, Treasurer, Sheriff and Probate Judge -- all serve four-year terms under the state constitution, and the state elects them together with the Governor, not in presidential years (N.M. Const. art. X, §2). That put a full slate of county offices on the 2026 ballot; the next regular county election is expected in 2030. County Commission is the one office that does not renew all at once -- the constitution requires counties to stagger commission seats so no more than two of three, or three of five, expire in the same year -- so the exact seats up in any given cycle vary by county. Your County Clerk can tell you which offices on this page are actually on your county's next ballot.
This page covers that for Mora County and points you at your local election office for anything specific to your county. It is not legal advice; the official rules live with your election office and the New Mexico Secretary of State.
Mora County by the numbers.
- In 2024, Mora County cast 2,487 votes for president: 40.6% Republican, 57.9% Democratic.
The campaigns that win the field are the ones who start building their list of supporters and volunteers before qualifying even opens, not after. Motion51 is ready to load your Mora County voter file the moment you send it over, so you can start finding your people now.
New Mexico election calendar (2026).
New Mexico runs one statewide election calendar for every county. The dates below cover the 2026 cycle -- every filing door for it has already closed, leaving only the November 3, 2026 general election itself still ahead -- plus the best estimate for the next county filing window, expected in 2030.
- Tue Mar 10, 2026Filing day for major-party county candidates -- already closed. Declarations of candidacy, with the $50 filing fee or a nominating petition instead, were due at the County Clerk's office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. (NMSA 1978, §1-8-26(B)).
- Tue Jun 2, 2026New Mexico's 2026 primary election -- already held. Contested county primaries were decided here.
- Thu Jun 25, 2026Filing day for minor-party, independent and write-in county candidates -- already closed. This was the single statewide day, set by the Secretary of State's general election proclamation, for every declaration of candidacy that does not go through a party primary.
- Tue Nov 3, 2026New Mexico's 2026 general election -- still ahead.
- Expected Tue Mar 12, 2030Best estimate for the next major-party county filing day, based on the standing second-Tuesday-of-March formula against New Mexico's 2030 primary (first Tuesday in June, expected Jun 4, 2030). The Secretary of State has not yet published the official 2030 calendar; confirm the exact date with your County Clerk closer to the cycle.
These filing rules are set statewide by the New Mexico Election Code, but the exact offices on your county's ballot, and which County Commission seats are up in a given year, varies by county -- confirm both with your County Clerk before relying on any date here.
Offices on the ballot in Mora County.
New Mexico's counties elect the six offices the Election Code defines as "county officers" (NMSA 1978, §10-1-13). The County Clerk, listed for every county below, is the filing officer for every county race and administers the county's elections.
- County Commissioner -- governs the county; a 4-year term, staggered so no more than two of three seats (or three of five, in a five-member commission) expire in the same year. Confirm which seat, if any, is up in a given year with your County Clerk.
- County Clerk -- the filing officer for every county office and the county's chief election official; 4-year term.
- County Treasurer -- 4-year term.
- County Assessor -- 4-year term.
- County Sheriff -- 4-year term.
- Probate Judge -- 4-year term.
All six county officer positions serve four-year terms under N.M. Const. art. X, §2, and after two consecutive terms in the same office a county officer must sit out two years before running for any county office again. County Commission is the only one of the six that does not renew as a full slate every cycle -- confirm which seats are on your county's next ballot with the County Clerk.
How to get on the ballot.
New Mexico offers county candidates two routes onto the ballot: a party primary, reached with a $50 filing fee or a nominating petition instead, or a minor-party or independent filing after the primary. Every 2026 filing door closed months before this guide was built; the next window is expected ahead of New Mexico's 2030 primary.
Party primary route -- filing closed for 2026 (was Mar 10).
A candidate seeking a party's nomination for county office files a Declaration of Candidacy with the County Clerk on the second Tuesday of March of an even-numbered election year, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. (NMSA 1978, §1-8-26(B)). Filing requires either a $50 filing fee or a nominating petition in its place, filed at the same time as the declaration.
- The nominating-petition alternative to the fee needs signatures equal to at least 3% of the total vote cast for that party's candidates for Governor in the county at the last gubernatorial primary (NMSA 1978, §1-8-33(C)(1)).
- A contested primary is decided at New Mexico's statewide primary election, first Tuesday in June; an uncontested county nominee advances straight to the November general.
- For 2026, this window closed March 10, 2026. The next one is expected around March 2030, ahead of the June 2030 primary.
Minor-party and independent route -- filing closed for 2026 (was Jun 25).
A candidate who is not seeking a party's primary nomination -- running as an independent or for a minor party -- files a Declaration of Candidacy and nominating petition with the County Clerk on a single statewide filing day the Secretary of State sets by proclamation after the primary. For the 2026 general election that day was Thursday, June 25, 2026 (NMSA 1978, §1-8-45).
- The same June 25, 2026 day also covered the Declaration of Intent to be a Write-In Candidate for the 2026 general election, so no write-in door remains open for county office on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
- Both doors are shut for 2026; the next filing opportunity for county office follows New Mexico's 2030 election cycle.
Statutory references: NMSA 1978, §10-1-13 (defines "county officer" as county commissioner, county assessor, county clerk, county sheriff, county treasurer and probate judge) · N.M. Const. art. X, §2 (all county officers serve four-year terms; County Commission seats are staggered so no more than two of three, or three of five, expire in the same year; two-consecutive-term limit with a two-year sit-out) · NMSA 1978, §1-8-26(B) (declarations of candidacy for county office are filed with the County Clerk on the second Tuesday of March of each even-numbered year) · NMSA 1978, §1-8-13 and the New Mexico Secretary of State's 2026 Candidate Information Guide (county office candidates pay a $50 filing fee or file a nominating petition instead) · NMSA 1978, §1-8-33(C)(1) (nominating-petition alternative to the fee: signatures equal to at least 3% of the candidate's party's total vote for Governor in the county at the last gubernatorial primary) · NMSA 1978, §1-8-45 (independent candidates for county office) and the Secretary of State's general election proclamation, which sets the single statewide filing day for minor-party, independent and write-in county candidates -- June 25, 2026 this cycle · New Mexico Secretary of State 2026 Elections Proclamation (2026 primary Tue Jun 2, 2026; 2026 general Tue Nov 3, 2026). Fees and signature counts change; confirm before you file.
The Mora County Clerk.
New Mexico county ballot access runs through a party primary or a post-primary independent filing, not this office directly -- but the County Clerk below actually administers the election, accepts every candidate filing and petition, and is the right first call for anything this page cannot answer.
- Office
- P.O. Box 360, Mora, NM 87732
- Phone
- (575) 387-2448
- [email protected]
Contact details verified 2026-08-14. Official statewide sources: New Mexico Secretary of State: 2026 Elections Candidate Information · New Mexico Secretary of State: County Clerk Information · New Mexico Secretary of State: 2026 Candidate Information Guide (PDF) · New Mexico Secretary of State: Election Laws & Codes.
Common questions.
Can I still get on the ballot for county office in Mora County in 2026?
No. Both 2026 filing doors have closed -- the major-party declaration of candidacy day was March 10, 2026, and the single statewide day for minor-party, independent and write-in candidates was June 25, 2026, which also closed the write-in door for the November 3, 2026 general. The next chance to run for county office in Mora follows New Mexico's 2030 election cycle; confirm the exact date with the Mora County Clerk once it is published.
How much does it cost to run for county office in Mora County?
Fifty dollars, or a nominating petition instead of the fee. A major-party county candidate files a Declaration of Candidacy with the $50 fee, or with a nominating petition signed by at least 3% of that party's total vote for Governor in Mora County at the last gubernatorial primary (NMSA 1978, §§1-8-13, 1-8-33(C)(1)).
Which county offices are on the ballot in Mora County?
Up to six: County Commissioner, County Clerk, County Treasurer, County Assessor, County Sheriff and Probate Judge -- all four-year terms under N.M. Const. art. X, §2. Commission seats are staggered, so not every seat is up in the same year; confirm Mora's exact lineup with the Mora County Clerk.
When is the next chance to run for county office in Mora County?
New Mexico elects county officers together with the Governor, not in presidential years, so the next regular county election is expected in 2030. The major-party filing day would fall on the second Tuesday of March 2030 under the standing statutory formula; the Secretary of State has not yet published the official calendar, so confirm the date with the Mora County Clerk closer to the cycle.
Where do I file to run for office in Mora County?
With the Mora County Clerk -- the office and contact details are above. New Mexico does not route county candidate filing through the Secretary of State; every county race files locally.
After you qualify: the field operation.
New Mexico's county races look very different from Bernalillo's dense Albuquerque metro to Harding's or Catron's few hundred voters spread across thousands of square miles -- a compact county seat can be won door to door, while the state's vast, sparsely populated counties often turn on phone calls and personal networks that cover far more ground than a knock ever could.
That is the part Motion51 was built for. You scope your district, cut turf, and send volunteers out with a phone instead of a clipboard. It works offline, so canvassing does not stop where the cell signal does, and every door is logged with a timestamp for your records. Our For Candidates page walks through what that looks like.
Counties next to Mora.
Running in a district that crosses a county line? Each of these has its own guide.