Santa Fe's voting history suggests that if any New Mexico city would impose a tax on the sale of expensive homes, it would be this one. The nature of today's special municipal election means the outcome is difficult to predict.

"Santa Fe has a long history of being more likely to support efforts like this than perhaps any other county," said Brian Sanderoff, president of Research & Polling Inc. in Albuquerque. "However, in a low-turnout election anything can happen and so that's the balance to it."

The sole ballot question asks voters whether the city should impose a fee on home sales that exceed $750,000. The tax, called the Workforce Housing Funding Initiative, would impose a 1 percent fee on any portion of a home sale that exceeds that threshold. Revenues would provide money for affordable-housing programs such as down-payment assistance for low-wage earners and other subsidies.

City voters heading to the polls today — or who have already cast ballots in early voting — have been pummeled by high-priced advertising from tax opponents and door-to-door canvassing and phone banks from social, labor and church-based tax advocates.

Of the 52,000 who are registered to vote in the election, only a fraction are expected to cast ballots because the contest is not happening during the city's regular election cycle. In the last such election, where the single ballot measure was a gross-receipts tax hike for water projects, fewer than 2,000 voted. As of Monday, ballots returned via mail and cast early at City Hall totaled about 1,200.

Sanderoff, a longtime pollster, said special elections can be a wild card when they are as charged as this one appears to be.

"In low-turnout elections, if one particular group is more motivated to vote, they can have a tremendous impact on the outcome," he said. "If one side or the other just feels more emotional about it, and they go out to vote, their vote is worth like four votes in a low-turnout election because the majority are not voting."

Political groups on both sides of the issue reported Monday to the city clerk about campaign spending, with those against the tax outspending advocates by a ratio of 8 to 1.

The state and national associations of Realtors paid most of the $140,000 that Santa Fe Housing Opportunity Partnerships used for its "Vote No" message while the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness and private donors came up with $18,000 for their efforts to support the tax. Among the new donations to United for Affordable Housing reported Monday was $1,000 from Suby Bowden, an architect, and $200 from Lee DePietro, a city planner.

Polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.  After the polls close, the City Clerk will announce the unofficial tally of votes at the City Hall Council Chambers, 200 Lincoln Avenue. Listed below are the polling places for the March 10, 2009 special municipal election:

DISTRICT 1

• Consolidated Precincts 8, 10, 22: Fort Marcy Complex, 490 Washington Ave.
• Consolidated Precincts 9, 28, 30: Fort Marcy Complex, 490 Washington Ave.
• Consolidated Precincts 11, 20, 21, 83: Gonzales Elementary School, 851 W. Alameda
• Consolidated Precincts 24, 25: Alameda Middle School, 450 La Madera
• Consolidated Precincts 26, 27: Alvord Elementary School, 551 Alarid

DISTRICT 2

• Consolidated Precincts 36, 44: Wood Gormley Elementary School, 141 E. Booth St.
• Consolidated Precincts 37, 54: Capshaw Middle School, 351 W. Zia Road
• Consolidated Precincts 42, 43: Kaune Elementary School, 1409 Monterey Drive
• Consolidated Precincts 45, 46: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Fe, 107 W. Barcelona
• Precinct 47: Acequia Madre Elementary School, 700 Acequia Madre
• Consolidated Precincts 48, 55: Elks BPOE 460 Lodge, 1615 Old Pecos Trail
• Precinct 52: E.J. Martinez Elementary School, 401 West San Mateo Road
• Precinct 53: Public Schools Administration Building, 610 Alta Vista

 DISTRICT 3

• Consolidated Precincts 12, 62, 64, 67, 75, 80, 86: Ortiz Middle School, 4164 S. Meadows Road
• Consolidated Precincts 31, 34, 41, 66: Salazar Elementary School, 1231 Apache Ave.
• Consolidated Precincts 32, 33: Larragoite Elementary School,1604 Agua Fría St.

DISTRICT 4

• Consolidated Precincts 29, 38, 56: Genoveva Chavez Community Center, 3221 Rodeo Road
• Consolidated Precincts 35, 50, 74: Nava Elementary School, 2655 Siringo Road
• Consolidated Precincts 39, 49: Kearny Elementary School, 901 Avenida de las Campanas
• Consolidated Precincts 51, 76, 77: Chaparral Elementary School, 2451 Avenida Chaparral
• Precinct 78: Genoveva Chavez Community Center, 3221 Rodeo Road
• To inquire about your assigned precinct, contact the city clerk’s office at 955-6521.

 

Contact Julie Ann Grimm at 986-3017 or jgrimm@sfnewmexican.com.

Results from the election will be posted to santafenewmexican.com when they become available tonight.