Fewer than 1 in 6 Rio Rancho residents voted in the March 3 election that will determine who runs New Mexico’s third-largest city — and the roughly $500,000 it cost taxpayers to hold that election won’t fix a single pothole.
City Councilor Paul Wymer and former Sandoval County Democratic Party chair Alexandria Piland square off April 14 in a runoff after neither cleared the majority threshold required under city election rules. Wymer led the six-candidate field with 6,240 votes, or 45%, while Piland finished second with 3,672 votes, or nearly 27%, according to the official canvass certified March 13. Just 13,814 of the city’s 81,437 eligible voters cast ballots. The low turnout, 16.96%, and high cost have renewed a debate the Governing Body sidestepped last May: whether Rio Rancho should join 99 of New Mexico’s 106 municipalities and move its elections to November, when the county runs them at no cost to city taxpayers.
“I believe holding our Municipal election concurrent with the more standard November election timeframe would result in a significant increase in voter participation,” Wymer said. “The change would have standardized election cycles resulting in less voter confusion.”
Last May, that question came to a head when the Governing Body voted down Ordinance 13, which would have shifted city elections to November of odd-numbered years. City staff estimated the move would save taxpayers at least $450,000 per election cycle. The total cost for the 2026 elections is expected to be around $500,000 but won’t be finalized until after the runoff, according to city staff.
Under the November model, Sandoval County administers elections using statewide funds. City documents showed those savings could instead fund two new police officers, two firefighter/EMT positions, or a new ambulance with equipment. The ordinance failed on a 3-3 tie after 16 residents spoke against it at the May 8 Governing Body meeting, many citing concerns over voter ID — which the ordinance would also have eliminated as a city requirement.
Wymer voted in favor of Ordinance 13 and stands by that vote on cost and turnout — but draws a firm line on voter ID. “I have always been and remain firmly of the belief that all elections, regardless of their origin, should have mandatory voter photo ID,” Wymer said. He acknowledged eliminating the photo ID requirement “would have been one of the unfortunate results, had it passed.”
Mayor Gregg Hull — who recused himself from the vote in May, then watched March 3 results alongside Wymer — praised the council’s decision afterward. “I am pleased that the Council voted to maintain control of our local elections,” Hull said. “It’s a shame that the legislature and the Secretary of State put our City and our Council in the impossible position to decide between the safety and security of our elections or to protect the hard-earned dollars of our taxpayers.”
Piland supports moving the elections and argues the city’s current photo ID standard is already weak. “If you can show a Costco card or student ID to vote, then why are we spending half a million dollars per election to administer our elections?” she said. “Let the Sandoval County Clerk do it and save the city money.” State data shows Sandoval County’s November local elections average 12.76% turnout — compared to 9.24% for Rio Rancho’s March municipal elections. The March 3 canvass puts a finer point on it: more than 83% of eligible voters sat out the election entirely.
The winner of the April 14 runoff inherits the issue either way. State lawmakers attempted to mandate the November shift through Senate Bill 218 during the 2025 legislative session; the bill died in committee but Wymer said he expects it to return. Only nine of New Mexico’s 106 municipalities — including Rio Rancho — still hold their own spring elections.
“I would love to revisit it,” Piland said, “but it is up to the people to decide if we save money and increase voter participation or not.”
Rio Rancho Mayoral Runoff
Election Day: Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Early voting: March 31 – April 11
Early voting locations:
- Broadmoor Senior Center/Clerk’s Annex, 3421 Broadmoor Blvd. (Mon.–Fri. 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sat. April 4 & 11, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.)
- Loma Colorado Main Library, 755 Loma Colorado Blvd.
- Sabana Grande, 4114 Sabana Grande Ave. SE
- The Hub @ Enchanted Hills, 7845 Enchanted Hills Blvd.
- Southern Blvd., 2345 Southern Blvd., Suite C2
Same-day voter registration available at all early voting locations.
Absentee ballot deadline: March 31
More info: rrnm.gov/rrvotes | (505) 891-5004