Political ads are popping up all over TV and radio, and the lawns of some Albuquerque homes are littered with campaign signs.
That can mean only one thing: It's election season again.
And New Mexico is in a position to pick the next Democratic candidate.
Polls open Feb. 5 for the New Mexico Caucus, where registered Democrats can vote for the party's 2008 presidential nominee.
The state's Republican primary will be held June 3.
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So, how does it work?
The caucus system isn't so simple. Participants don't vote directly for a candidate, but their choices dictate how state party delegates will vote in the summer's Democratic National Convention.
Delegates are party members selected at state Democratic conventions to represent New Mexico voters.
The state has 38 delegates - 26 who are pledged to vote for specific candidates and 12 "super delegates" who vote on their own accord, said Laura E. Sanchez, executive director of the New Mexico Democratic Party.
The pledged delegates are divided up by what percentage of the popular vote a candidate receives. For example, if Sen. Hillary Clinton gets 27 percent of the popular vote, she will earn seven delegates.
However, candidates must garner at least 15 percent of voters in order to get any delegates.
The "super delegates" are high-ranking Democrats from around the state, including Gov. Bill Richardson, Sen. Jeff Bingaman and Rep. Tom Udall. They can vote for any candidate they choose.
Voting in the caucus will be done privately, unlike in Iowa and Nevada, where supporters gather in a public place for a head count.
"The New Mexico Caucus is more of a primary," Sanchez said. "It's called a firehouse caucus - voters will go in, get a ballot and mark it in a booth."
On the ballot will be Sens. Clinton and Barack Obama and former Sens. John Edwards and Mike Gravel.
Voters can also choose Richardson, Rep. Dennis Kucinich and Sens. Joe Biden and Christopher Dodd, all of whom dropped out of the race before the ballot was finalized.
In August, delegates from around the country will gather in Denver for the Democratic National Convention to name the party's presidential nominee.
For information on absentee ballots and polling locations, visit NmDemocrats.org.
Just one out of 24
New Mexico is hardly the only state going to the polls Feb. 5.
On Super Tuesday, there will be 24 elections - 19 two-party primaries, three Democratic caucuses and two Republican caucuses.
In 2004, the first New Mexico Caucus came early in the race and shared a day with only six states.
The crowded schedule of Feb. 5 might pull the spotlight away from New Mexico, said Lonna Atkeson, professor of political science at UNM.
"I call it Tsunami Tuesday myself, because we've never had that many states at one time," she said.
Atkeson said candidates might skip over the Land of Enchantment in favor of states with larger delegations.
She said New Mexico's 38 delegates don't compare to California's 441 and New York's 280, and those states hit the polls Feb. 5, too.
"You only have so many resources as a candidate, and if you're going to have that many races on the same day, you need to find a way to maximize your delegate representation," Atkeson said.
Sanchez said candidates will be drawn to the state now that it's fair game.
"Given that (Richardson) was in the race, the other candidates, for good reason, were hesitant to visit New Mexico or spend money here," she said. "Since he's dropped out, we've seen the other candidates build a base here."
Since Richardson's forfeit, the Clinton campaign has opened a headquarters in Albuquerque, and the Obama camp has opened three.
New Mexico's racial makeup might also help pull the state into the limelight, Atkeson said.
"Certainly, with the exception of, say, Arizona, no state has more Hispanics proportionally than New Mexico," she said. "In thinking about a nomination process, it's important to think about where those voters turn out, which speaks to a candidate's electability."
New Mexico is an ideal place to get to know the Hispanic electorate, Sanchez said.
"We do have a large Hispanic population, which has been perceived as a growing voting block that could really swing the election if Hispanics will turn out to vote," she said. "In New Mexico, they typically vote Democratic, so they are a huge voting block."
Getting out the vote
In 2004, about 100,000 votes were cast in the New Mexico Caucus, Sanchez said.
"But the circumstances for 2004 were very different," she said. "In 2004, New Mexico was one of the first states to hold a caucus. But now, we're one of many on Feb. 5."
Sanchez said that while the caucus's profile has diminished, the party is still optimistic.
"It's hard for us to predict, but we're hoping for a maximum turnout - at least as much as 2004," she said.
However, if the record turnout in Iowa is any indication, this year's New Mexico Caucus might top the last.
CNN reported that a record number of Iowa voters were first-time caucus-goers, and the second-largest voting group on the Democratic side was in the 18-29 age range.
Atkeson said the surge in young voters is hardly a surprise.
"I think this race is very important to young people, and it may motivate them to go the polls because of the condition of the economy and the Iraq war," she said. "All of these things affect young people differently than established voters."
New Mexico Tech student Walter Gordy said he doesn't plan on voting in the caucus.
"I have no idea what (the candidates) have said," he said. "I haven't watched any debates, so I don't know what their opinions are."
Student Collin Plaman said he's debating between Obama and Kucinich.
"I just feel that people should be heard in any way they can," he said. "And I think it's important to be informed, if not involved, in every society."
Gordy said it would be irresponsible to vote without knowing the candidates' positions.
"I'd feel bad voting for somebody," he said. "And if it turned out he won, and I didn't like the guy, I couldn't say anything."
