ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Voters might be just 10 days from Decision 2024, but that’s not stopping New Mexicans from making their voices heard.

The state doesn’t provide numbers over the weekend, but as of Friday morning more than 324,000 New Mexicans have already voted. That includes both absentee ballots and early in-person voting.

KOB 4 went out to two of the early voting locations, where one of them had at least 900 voters cast their ballots today alone.

”It’s really convenient, and it’s something that I always take advantage of,” said Patricia Galindo, who voted early in Bernalillo County.

“With where I’m working, it’s kind of hard to be able to get around to vote,” said Ava Jane Minnick-Lujan, a first-time voter.

People are exercising their right to vote days before Election Day.

For Galindo, every election is a family affair.

“Ever since my kids have been babies, I bring them to vote with me to show them that we have to exercise our right to vote,” she said. “It’s a great way to have a meaningful impact and conversation about issues facing our community, both at the local, state and national level.”

Another voter was excited to get to the polls for the first time.

“Being able to realize that I could vote this year was pretty amazing,” Minnick-Lujan said.

She said reproductive rights are at the top of her list of importance.

“With what’s going on and how everything could turn out, in my opinion, I think that this year is so important because we might never, ever be able to vote again, honestly,” Minnick-Lujan said. “But a lot of the choices that people are making.”

While some New Mexicans spent the day casting ballots, others combined their civic duty with shooting hoops.

“We can get our message out while playing basketball,” Larry Morinia said.

Andreana Thomas with the New Mexico Black Leadership Council said her love for the sport gave her the idea to bring a national event to Albuquerque, the Change the Game Basketball Tournament.

“When we think of politics and voting, it’s like you have to do this thing,” said Thomas, the positive youth development director with the Black Leadership Council. “It feels, feels like a task sometimes, versus, this is your right, just like it’s your right to play basketball, it’s your right to vote, and we want to bring those two together.”

For Thomas, it’s also about encouraging black and brown voters to make their voices heard.

“Our ancestors fought so hard for us to have that right to vote, and it’s now our time to express that,” Thomas said.

“My family will be affected by the next four years, no matter how I like it or how I look at it, what vote I use may be affected, and my vote could change something, you know, and people think it’s just one vote, but a bunch of one votes make a difference,” Morinia said.

The New Mexico Black Leadership Council was able to get 107 athletes to commit to vote.

People can register to vote the same day they submit their ballot on site, even on Election Day. The last day to vote early is November 2 and Election Day is November 5.