Issues and News
January 27, 2011
Count Every Vote New Mexico releases its 2010 post-election report, which includes several recommended statutory reforms to improve election administration in the state. Click here for the full report.
October 29, 2010
Count Every Vote New Mexico will have election observers placed in six New Mexico counties on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2. These counties are Bernalillo, Cibola, Doña Ana, Rio Arriba, Sandoval and Santa Fe. Questions or concerns from voters should be directed to the program's two hotlines: 1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) (English) and 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (1-888-839-8682) (Spanish).
August 2010
New Mexico's general election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 2. For details, click here.
April 2010
New Mexico will be holding a primary election on Tuesday, June 1. For details, click here.
August 2009
Common Cause seeks volunteer poll observers for Albuquerque Municipal Election. Click here for more information.
January 2009
Common Cause releases post-election report. Click here.
ELECTION DAY UPDATES
November 4, 2008
The New Mexico election protection coaltion fielded voter queries and comments throughout the day, both from callers to the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline and to our volunteers out in the field. In general, the election process went well in New Mexico. We've had some complaints of voting equipment breakdowns, but in general county election officials responded rapidly to replace these malfunctioning machines. At two precincts in Bernalillo County, we had reports earlier in the day of poll workers making illegal requests for ID from all voters, but the county clerk's office quickly issued directives to election officials to cease these improper requests. We heard reports from Chavez County of voters receiving calls indicating that Election Day is actually November 8. We're still looking into these allegations. One polling place ran out of paper ballots in Santa Fe County, and poll officials xeroxed copies of the ballot for voters, which will have to be handcounted. Finally, contrary to a Dona Ana County Clerk's Office press release from Monday, substantially more absentee ballots were outstanding in the County on Election Day than was previously asserted. There was widespread concern about absentee ballots in Dona Ana County since it was learned that the county clerk's office failed to comply with a New Mexico law requiring a 24-hour turnaround on dispersal of such ballots. Almost 4,000 ballots haven't been returned, meaning some voters in that County will not have their votes counted. Heath Haussamen has the story here.
NM Supreme Court Rules in Favor of League of Women Voters
October 29, 2008
New Mexico's highest court sided with the League of Women Voters, upholding the constitutionality of a section of law that states when a ballot is not properly marked the vote can be counted if election judges unanimously agree on the voter's intent. In effect, this means that a larger number of clear, legitimate votes will be counted than would be possible if the provision had been struck down. The Santa Fe New Mexican covers the ruling here.
ACLU and MALDEF Sue NM GOP over Voter Intimidation Allegations
October 27, 2008
Talking Points Memo has the story here.
Common Cause requests DOJ investigation into Voter Intimidation Allegations
October 24, 2008
Common Cause New Mexico is requesting that the Department of Justice look into allegations that a lawyer connected with the New Mexico Republican Party engaged in voter intimidation by sending a private investigator to the homes of Hispanic voters. The New Mexico Independent has coverage here.
Common Cause Questions Accuracy of Voter Misconduct Claims
October 22, 2008
After carefully examining the evidence, Common Cause New Mexico has concluded that recent assertions regarding “undeniable proof that there was voter fraud in the June election” are simply inaccurate. Contrary to the claims of a Republican spokesperson, the registration forms that the party released to the media on October 16 do not constitute clear evidence of “voter fraud in the 2008 primary in Albuquerque." (“NM GOP Finds 28 Suspect Voters”, Santa Fe New Mexican, October 17, 2008). The New Mexico Independent covers the story here.
Federal Oversight of Upcoming Election
October 22, 2008
The U.S. Attorney's office has appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Kotz as election overseer for New Mexico. Kotz will handle all allegations of voter misconduct or voting rights abuses stemming from the November 4 election. KOB-TV has the story here.
New Mexico GOP Releases "Bombshell Evidence" of Voter Misconduct
October 17, 2008
The New Mexico Republican party has released what it claims to be "undeniable proof" of voter fraud during the June 2008 primary. The Santa Fe New Mexican has the story here.
Bernalillo County Preps for Election Day
October 9, 2008
According to an editorial in the Albuquerque Journal, Maggie Toulouse Oliver, the county clerk in New Mexico's most populous county is taking several important steps to ensure that the November election runs as smoothly as possible. Read the full article here. (Click on "trial premium pass" and watch a brief ad to access the editorial.)
GOP Renews Complaints over Voter Registrations
October 9, 2008
Massive voter registration drives in New Mexico have sparked new complaints about possible voter fraud. The recent discovery of 1,400 potentially fraudulent registration forms in Bernalillo County has received enough attention to get coverage in the Wall Street Journal. (Read the article here.) Yet J. Adam Skaggs, counsel with the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, says: "A lot that gets lost in the hysteria of the issue is the fact that the people on those [fraudulent] forms are not showing up to vote."
48-Hour Rule Upheld
September 18, 2008
A federal judge has upheld a New Mexico law requiring groups who register voters to turn in registration forms within 48 hours of enlisting first-time voters. Earlier this year, the SouthWest Organizing Project, the American Association of People with Disabilities, the Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas Inc. and New Mexico Public Interest Research Group sued New Mexico Secretary of State Mary Herrera, hoping to overturn the law. The Santa Fe New Mexican coverage is here.
