I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
A report on election protection efforts in 2008 by a statewide coalition was released by Common Cause today. It reports on how the 2008 election year went in terms of ensuring that every vote counted and makes proposals for election reforms. The primary proposal is to adopt a provision allowing same-day voter registration–which will be introduced this year in the House by Rep. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces.
“Our most important proposal for reform is Same Day Registration,” says Steven Robert Allen, executive director of Common Cause New Mexico. Eight states now have same-day registration, and a ninth, North Carolina, allows registration at early voting sites.
“We believe that many of the concerns surrounding voter registration and provisional ballots would be greatly alleviated with a solid bill allowing for voter registration both during early voting and on Election Day,” Allen says.
Other recommendations include revising restrictions on third-party registration agents; a statute allowing early voting for voters who have requested absentee ballots but have not received them; setting a minimum deadline for absentee ballot applications; changing the deadline for mailing absentee ballots; adopting a county-level focus regarding post-election audits; replacing the 2 percent audit with a risk-limiting approach that employs an adjustable sample model; requiring that machines audited were actually used in the election; a cleanup project to delete contradictory and outdated language from the Election Code; and an administrative rule codifying guidance issued by the secretary of state regarding challengers.
A copy of “Count Every Vote New Mexico, Election Report 2008” is available on Common Cause New Mexico’s web site, www.commoncause.org/nm, and at the Count Every Vote New Mexico web site, www.counteveryvotenm.org.
