Show Up For Our Communities This Week: At The Ballot Box, The PRC, & Beyond
- zoeyyucraft
- Oct 29
- 8 min read
We're up against a lot right now: a government shutdown that's stripping away the support our families need to keep food on the table, corporations and billionaires attempting to seize control of our utilities, and high-stakes local elections that will shape what comes next for our communities.
But young people aren't sitting this moment out – we're fighting back against corporate greed, making our voices heard in the elections and spaces impacting our futures, and caring for each other even when systems fail us.
Below, you'll find 3 important ways to show up for our community this week: from helping to block a private equity takeover of the New Mexico Gas Company, to making your voice heard in our local elections, to accessing and uplifting community care resources as young people and families across the state face the impacts of the ongoing government shutdown.
WE SHOWED UP TO OPPOSE PRIVATE EQUITY'S NM GAS COMPANY BUYOUT: HELP US KEEP THE PRESSURE ON
Earlier this week, YUCCA and dozens of communities showed up at the Public Regulation Commission's Public Comment Hearing in Albuquerque to oppose Bernhard Capital Partners' attempt to buy out the New Mexico Gas Company – a deal that would hand control of a utility that over 550,000 New Mexicans depend on to an out-of-state private equity firm with no experience operating major utilities.
During the meeting, our community hand-delivered a petition against the buyout with over 574 signatures to our Public Regulation Commissioners and sent a resounding message: our utilities should serve the people – not corporations and Wall Street investors.
Now, we need your help to keep the pressure on. Take action today by sending an email to the Public Regulation Commission at public.comment@prc.nm.gov to urge Commissioners to reject this private equity buyout.
You can find simple, updated talking points adapted from our friends at NM Climate Justice to help you craft your email below:
The paltry "customer benefits" of $3.39 per month (for one year) provided by BCP's $22.4 million rate credit are NOT worth the risk of this company, which has virtually NO gas utility experience.
The only other utility that BCP has run is a 20,000-person water infrastructure utility in Louisiana, where the Dept of Environmental Quality cited them for failing to maintain and operate their facility - regulators found feces in their water. This is completely unacceptable.
BCP has overpaid for NMGC by about $200M and will seek to get that money back from ratepayers. That means guaranteed rate increases, on top of the frequent "normal" rate increases.
The "private" in "private equity" is real! We have already seen this company's lack of transparency—they won't even divulge their business history–and as a private equity firm, the company is not required to report its financial status, operational details, or business risks to the SEC.
ELECTION DAY IS NOVEMBER 4TH: MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD AT THE BALLOT BOX!
When we vote – especially in local elections – we're shaping what comes next for our communities and who we trust to stand alongside us as we build the world we deserve.
Across New Mexico, we're making big decisions next week. In Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, and communities across the state, we're choosing the leaders who will center our voices and demands in the rooms where decisions about our futures are being made – from mayor's offices to school board meetings, courtrooms, and city council chambers.
These "small" elections have a big impact on whether our communities have the support and resources they need to thrive, or whether polluters, corporate interests, and those who benefit from the status quo can keep calling the shots.
We know that voting won't save us. Only we can do that – by showing up for each other every single day, building a grassroots movement powerful enough to transform the systems that have harmed us, and fighting for our future no matter who's in office.
But voting does give us another tool to protect our people, to help prevent harm, and to create space for the future we're building together. And as we face the climate crisis, growing injustice, and rising fascism in a system that was never designed to protect us, we need to use every strategy we've got.
Below, we've compiled important resources and information to help you show up between now and Election Day on November 4th – whether that's through early voting, making your voice heard on Election Day, or driving friends to the polls and caring for your community.
✅ Not Registered? You Can Still Vote Next Week!
New Mexico offers same-day voter registration – that means even if you've never voted before or aren't registered yet, you can still make your voice heard by registering on the same day you cast your ballot.
You can register and vote at your County Clerk's office or any polling place in your county on Election Day (November 4th) and at participating early voting locations. Be sure to bring a valid form of physical identification that includes your name, photograph, and address.
🗳️ Vote In Person – Early or on Election Day!
Early In-Person Voting
Early voting is already underway across New Mexico! If you want to avoid the lines on Election Day or vote on the date that works best for you, you can cast your ballot now through Saturday, November 1st.
Click here to find your nearest early voting location, or call your county clerk's office to confirm early voting locations, dates, and hours of operation.
Make Your Voice Heard on Election Day!
Election Day is Tuesday, November 4th, and polls will be open from 7:00 am-7:00 pm at locations across the state.
Not sure where to vote, want to view a sample ballot, or need to confirm that you're registered? Click here to find your voter registration information, voting location, sample ballot, your county clerk's contact information, or your absentee application and ballot status.
📬 Absentee Ballots: Make Sure Yours Is Counted!
If you requested an absentee (mail-in) ballot, you can track its progress and sign up for alerts here, and there are multiple ways you can return your ballot to ensure your vote is counted!
If you received your absentee ballot but haven't mailed it back yet, you can also submit your absentee ballot in person! Simply head to your nearest polling place or local county clerk's office to drop off your ballot.
In addition, if you mailed your absentee ballot but it hasn't been received by Election Day, you can still cast your vote in person at a local polling place – you'll just need to sign an affidavit cancelling the mail-in ballot you submitted.
🔎 Learn More About The Candidates & What's On Your Ballot!
Making informed choices matters – especially in local elections where a difference of just a few votes can shape what happens in our schools, neighborhoods, and communities. If you're still on the fence about who has earned your vote or need to confirm what's on your ballot, the nonpartisan resources below can help you get prepared and informed.
Want to learn more about the candidates? Check out the nonpartisan League of Women Voters' Guides for Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia counties, in addition to their guides for Santa Fe, Los Alamos, and Southern New Mexico!
Based in Santa Fe and still on the fence about the Mayoral race? Earth Care recently held a bilingual Mayoral Candidate's Forum to help voters learn more about candidates' positions on key issues impacting our communities. You can watch the full forum by clicking here, or view their responses to Earth Care's candidate questionnaire here!
Need to view your sample ballot? Enter your address at NMVote.org to learn more about the candidates and issues on your ballot!
WE KEEP US SAFE, WE KEEP US FED
The ballot box is one place we're building power – but it's not where change ends.
As our families face the devastating impacts of one of the longest government shutdowns in history, local businesses, organizations, and neighbors are stepping up to care for our community with resources and support.
Earlier this week, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that the state will provide $30 million in state funding to help support the 21% of New Mexicans who receive SNAP benefits – which have been suspended by the federal government starting in November. If you're enrolled in SNAP, you can expect to receive approximately 30% of your benefit for the month via your existing EBT card on November 1st.
At YUCCA, we appreciate the ways our state government is stepping in where the federal government has failed – but we know that 30% of a basic necessity will leave many of our young people and families facing impossible choices that no one should ever have to make.
But as systems fall short, our communities are stepping up to care for each other like we always have – because we keep us safe, even when institutions fail us.
Below, we've compiled some of the resources available to support our elders, young people, and families – because no one should have to choose between paying their bills, putting food on the table, or keeping the lights on. Not during a government shutdown, and not ever.
Community care is everywhere – including at our local restaurants and businesses. Across the state, many business owners are showing up for our communities by offering free meals for children and discounted rates on essentials until SNAP benefits are restored.
This week, a community member even created an interactive online map so families can easily find these businesses, which will continue to be updated as more step forward.
❤️ If you need support: Click the button below to view the map and find nearby businesses offering meals and food assistance for children and families. You can also find lists of many participating businesses in the Albuquerque Metro area on KRQE and KOAT's websites.
📢 If you have the means: Consider joining us in supporting these local businesses by buying a meal, donating, and spreading the word – so they can continue caring for our community and supporting our families.
Our local business owners aren't the only ones stepping up. Across the state, grassroots organizations, food banks, and community networks are doing the same – helping us care for one another when systems fail us. Below are just a few of the organizations offering care and support to our communities right now:
Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico partners with hundreds of locations across the state to help get food directly into community hands. Click here to use their interactive online map to find a local distribution site near you.
The Food Depot also distributes food through 150+ local partners to support families across Northern New Mexico. Click here to use their interactive map and locate resources near you.
In the Albuquerque Metro area, Albuquerque Mutual Aid has delivered groceries and essentials to tens of thousands of community members since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can request a care package, donate, or sign up to volunteer with this by-the-community, for-the-community effort by clicking here.
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