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…
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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.
Overzealous and argumentative poll challengers and poll watchers have disrupted voting precincts in four counties, N.M. Secretary of State Mary Herrera‘s Bureau of Elections director Don Francisco Trujillo II told The Independent at early Tuesday evening.
“We’ve had a relatively smooth day but it’s the poll watchers that are causing problems,” Trujillo said. “They are interfering with election officials’ duties.”
Police were called to remove disruptive GOP poll challengers from two voting precincts in Doña Ana County.
But the problem is more widespread than that, Trujillo said.
“We’ve had issues with watchers in four counties — Doña Ana, Taos, Santa Fe and Bernalillo County today,” Trujillo said. “Mostly it’s been issues with watchers superseding their duties.”
Challengers have attempted to handle voters’ ballots, Trujillo said, but he knew of no cases outside Doña Ana County where challengers demanded voters be required to provide photo ID to vote.
The incidents have been handled by county clerks and election officials at the precincts, Trujilo said. He did not immediately know how many precincts had reported disruptive poll challengers.
Trujillo said he knew of no police responses to precinct disruptions other than those reported for two Doña Ana County precincts.
The N.M. Republican Party has trained at least 350 poll challengers, at least 80 of whom are Albuquerque tea party activists. The state Democratic Party has trained at least 200 of its own poll challengers.
Poll watchers observe the voting process and check which voters have voted, whereas poll challengers can actively challenge voters’ registrations and ballots.
“Most of the problems we’re hearing about today involve Republican poll challengers,” Trujillo said.
However, in Taos County, Democratic and Republican poll challengers have been “equally aggressive,” Taos County Clerk Elaine Montano told The Independent.
Disruptions have occurred at four Taos precincts, Montano said at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
“I don’t know if it has something to do with their training or what the issue is,” Montano said. “They’re very aggressive. The challengers do not understand the rules. It’s being handled by poll workers and presiding judges, and myself.”
Challengers are advising voters who show up at the wrong precincts to request provisional ballots rather than drive to their correct precincts, Montano said. But challengers are not supposed to advise or talk to voters at the polls, Montano said.
None of the incidents in Taos County involved challengers’ demands for voters’ identification documents, Montano said.
The Secretary of State’s office has 15 liaisons at polling places across the state, Trujillo said.
The Secretary of State’s office will compile a report by late this week, detailing their reports of precinct disruptions, Trujillo said.
