This is a story about how a small county in New Mexico has decided to reject the results of the state’s primary elections after being infected by Donald Trump’s false claims of election fraud. The first character in this story is Couy Griffin. In March, Griffin was found guilty of a misdemeanor charge of illegally entering or remaining on restricted grounds by a federal judge — a verdict that followed Griffin’s presence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Griffin is a fervent supporter of the former president, being one of the founders of the group Cowboys for Trump. He is also an elected member of the three-person county commission in Otero County, N.M. That brings us to the second character in the story, David Clements. Clements gained national attention after being fired from New Mexico State University after refusing to comply with the school’s coronavirus rules and has since made a name for himself as part of the election-fraud circuit. He’s turned up at public hearings around the country sowing doubt about the reliability of voting mechanisms used in the 2020 election. Given those descriptions, it was perhaps inevitable that Clements and Griffin would at some point align. As they did, in February. At a meeting of the Otero County Commission, Clements and his wife, Erin, argued successfully for the county to engage in a review of its election results akin to the one in Maricopa County, Ariz., last year. That the Arizona “audit” failed to find concrete evidence of fraud or questionable practices — and not for lack of looking — did not appear to spur any caution on the part of commissioners. Neither did the fact that Otero County, unlike Maricopa, was won by Donald Trump, with more than 60 percent of the vote.
New Mexico Secretary of State raises awareness of deepfakes, misinformation | News | Cathy Cook/The Albuquerque Journal
As New Mexico gears up for the primary elections in June, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver is raising awareness about the potential risks of deepfakes and artificial intelligence in manipulating election information. Deepfakes, digitally altered photos, videos, or audio recordings created using generative AI, can convincingly imitate individuals' likeness or voices, leading to concerns about spreading misinformation and discrediting individuals or institutions. While New Mexico has not yet experienced deepfake-related election misinformation, Toulouse Oliver emphasizes the importance of increasing awareness and enforcing disclosure requirements, as mandated by a recent law, to deter such activities. Read ArticleNew Mexico: Solomon Peña Faces Federal Charges for Attacks on Democrats | Mike Ives/The New York Times
Solomon Peña, a former Republican candidate for the New Mexico House of Representatives, has been charged with federal offenses related to drive-by shootings at the homes of Democratic officials. Peña allegedly orchestrated the shootings after losing an election bid in November 2022. No one was injured in the attacks. He already faces state charges and could face a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 60 years if convicted of the federal charges. The shootings caused alarm within New Mexico's political establishment and highlighted concerns about political violence across the country. Read ArticleNew Mexico: Intimidation, voting rights measures headed to governor’s desk | Dan McKay/Albuquerque Journal
Legislation making it a crime to intimidate election workers and expanding automatic voter registration is on its way to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham after winning House approval Monday. The proposals — contained in separate bills — emerged this year as priorities for Democratic legislative leaders. Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said the measures would increase protection for people on the front lines carrying out elections and make it easier for New Mexicans to vote. “As federal voting bills are stymied in Congress and voting rights come under attack across the nation, states like New Mexico must step up to protect these rights,” said Toulouse Oliver, a Democrat. The automatic voter registration proposal, House Bill 4, includes provisions to establish a Native American Voting Rights Act, outlining requirements for secure ballot drop boxes and restores felons’ rights to vote when they leave incarceration, rather than after the completion of probation or parole. Full Article: Intimidation, voting rights measures headed to governor’s desk in New Mexico - Albuquerque JournalNew Mexico shootings follow two years of election assaults | Christina A. Cassidy/Associated Press
Two years since the attack on the U.S. Capitol, a series of drive-by shootings targeting Democrats in New Mexico is a violent reminder that the false claims about a stolen election persist in posing a danger to public officials and the country’s democratic institutions. While no one was hurt in the Albuquerque attacks, this latest outburst of political violence underscores how election denialism has become deeply embedded across much of the country and how it is driving grievance-filled anger over the nation’s politics and officeholders. Over the past year, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was seriously injured in an attack in his home by an assailant who said he was sick of the “lies coming out of Washington D.C.,” election workers were intimidated and harassed, and prosecutors won convictions in a plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor. Further sign of the unrelenting threat came this week when authorities arrested a Republican candidate for the New Mexico House who had refused to accept his loss in last fall’s election. Police said Solomon Peña hired four people to shoot at the homes of four Democratic lawmakers. Full Article: New Mexico shootings follow two years of election assaults | AP NewsNew Mexico: A Republican candidate paid for shootings targeting Democratic officials, police say | Ayana Archie/NPR
Solomon Peña, who unsuccessfully ran for a state House seat in New Mexico as a Republican last November, was arrested Monday in Albuquerque for allegedly paying four men to shoot at the homes of four elected officials, police said. They say Peña paid $500 — and that he took part in one shooting himself. The criminal complaint against Peña includes chilling details. In one case, bullets tore through the walls of a 10-year-old girl's bedroom as she slept. Just before that attack, police allege, Peña had urged the gunmen to aim lower when they shot at politicians' houses. Charges against Peña, whom police call the "mastermind" behind the string of attacks, include conspiracy to commit a felony, shooting at an occupied dwelling, and shooting from a vehicle. He was booked into the Albuquerque Metropolitan Detention Center late Monday. Full Article: A Republican candidate paid for shootings targeting N.M. Democrats, police say : NPRA New Mexico County Went To War With Voting Machines. It May Gain a Powerful Ally in November. | aul McLeod/Bolts
The lawyer was clear: what the commissioners of Otero County, New Mexico were thinking of doing this fall was against the law. If they followed through they could be removed from office and could face criminal charges. But Commissioner Couy Griffin was adamant. As the founder of Cowboys For Trump, he was steeped in election conspiracy theories that sprung up after Trump’s loss in 2020. At an August 11 meeting Griffin pushed for their county to eliminate election ballot drop boxes and voting machines, which he argued could be tools for voter fraud. He also wanted to sue Democratic Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, who months earlier had gone to court to force them to certify primary election results that Griffin didn’t trust. The other two commissioners, also Republicans, weren’t buying it. As their county lawyer RB Nichols made clear, the use of voting machines and drop boxes is dictated by state law. “It won’t matter what we vote, we have no authority to do anything,” said Gerald Matherly. Fellow Commissioner Vickie Marquardt agreed, saying “this is out of our purview.” Hours later, after a raucous community meeting that included shouting, allegations of fraud, and calls for resignations, Griffin prevailed. The commission voted 2-1 to do away with drop boxes and voting machines, as well as to sue the secretary of state. Full Article: A New Mexico County Went To War With Voting Machines. It May Gain a Powerful Ally in November. | BoltsNew Mexico braces for confrontational poll watchers | Morgan Lee/Associated Press
New Mexico’s top elections regulator said Wednesday that precautions are being taken to guard against the possibility of deliberate disruptions by party-appointed poll challengers and watchers in the ongoing general election. Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said at a news briefing that she is aware of efforts to recruit poll challengers by people who believe the election process is rigged and may want to interfere. “Maybe they feel like at the end of the day, even if they ultimately get removed, that they’ve been able to slow down the process, cause folks to get discouraged,” Toulouse Oliver said. “As long as a challenger is following the rules and not obstructing the election process and not interposing challenges in bad faith, they can stay there the entire process. But when we start seeing this other behavior, that’s when they have to go.” At the same time, Toulouse Oliver has encouraged people with concerns about the integrity of elections to volunteer and work at the polls under oath. She said hundreds of new poll workers have responded. Poll challengers and watchers have traditionally functioned as an essential element of electoral transparency at polling locations, acting as the eyes and ears of major political parties to help ensure that the mechanics of voting are administered fairly and accurately. Full Article: New Mexico braces for confrontational poll watchers | AP NewsNew Mexico: Election official says paper shortage won’t impact ballots | Dan Boyd/Albuquerque Journal
A global paper shortage has raised concerns around the nation about whether enough ballots can be printed – and obtained in time – to run this fall’s elections. But a top New Mexico elections administrator said the paper paucity should not cause problems for state county clerks. Specifically, Deputy Secretary of State Sharon Pino said the state’s two outside ballot vendors have assured state officials they have a sufficient paper supply to conduct the Nov. 8 general election. “We are fortunate here in New Mexico,” Pino told the Journal. The paper shortage is due to a decline in U.S. paper production in recent years and supply chain issues, according to a report from the Bipartisan Policy Center. The report said paper orders that previously took days or weeks are now taking months to process, while costs have increased by 40% or more in some cases. Transportation issues have also played a role in the paper shortage, with the American Trucking Association predicting that an existing shortage of truck drivers will worsen over the next decade. Full Article: Election official says paper shortage won't impact NM ballots - Albuquerque JournalNew Mexico: US District Court judge OKs online publication of voter records | Morgan Lee/Associated Press
A conservative-backed initiative to publish voter registration records from across the country online for public consumption can move forward over the objections of New Mexico election regulators, a federal judge has ordered in a preliminary opinion. Albuquerque-based U.S. District Court Judge James Browning issued an order last Friday preventing New Mexico state prosecutors from pursuing allegations of possible election code violations against the creators of VoteRef.com. The VoteRef.com website provides searchable access to voter registration records by name and street addresses, often indicating when people voted in past elections. The online records do not say for which candidates the people voted or how they voted on initatives. Party affiliation is listed for voters in some states but not all. The Voter Reference Foundation that created the website advocates for voting accountability by making voter information more accessible to the public. Following the ruling, the foundation said it would post New Mexico voter rolls online starting Tuesday. The decision doesn’t apply to New Mexico voters enrolled in a confidential address program aimed at protecting victims of domestic violence and stalking. Source: US judge OKs online publication of New Mexico voter records | AP NewsNew Mexico Secretary of State says she was threatened | Morgan Lee/Associated Press
New Mexico’s top elections regulator says she received threats to her safety via an email and telephone calls to her offices and that the FBI has been notified. Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver on Tuesday told The Associated Press that there have been three instances of threats against her within the last two weeks and that federal investigators have been alerted. Two threats were made indirectly in phone calls to the office of the secretary of state. The FBI in Albuquerque did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Toulouse Oliver previously went into hiding in response to online threats by leaving her home for several weeks in December 2020 and January 2021. Investigators linked those threats on a website against multiple election officials to Iran. “I went a nice, long period with anything” threatening, Toulouse Oliver said. “My election security officer has referred them over to the FBI. They’re looking into it obviously.” Toulouse Oliver said the threatening email touched upon social media and video commentary by a conservative filmmaker in defense of his widely debunked documentary “2000 Mules” that alleges widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.
Full Article: Top New Mexico elections regulator says she was threatened | AP NewsNew Mexico lawmakers weigh fallout of election certification drama | Dan Boyd/Albuquerque Journal
The drama over certifying New Mexico’s primary election results might be over for now, but there could be a political fallout as lawmakers review a state election code that requires counties to approve their vote results before the statewide canvass can be certified. All 33 counties voted to certify this year’s primary election results in advance of a deadline last week, though some county commissions faced jeers and angry shouts of “cowards” and “traitors” after casting their votes. In addition, a divided Otero County Commission voted to approve the election results only after they faced a state Supreme Court order and possible removal from office. Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto, a former state elections director who provides technical assistance and training to county clerks, said Monday the state faces a conundrum. That’s because, he said, some activists who opposed certifying the election results and pressured county commissioners to cast “no” votes made up their minds that election irregularities exist – even when election officials say they did not. “They don’t really want answers,” said Ivey-Soto, an Albuquerque Democrat. He said he’s not sure what specific changes to the state election code lawmakers might consider, but said, “I do think we need to look at the process.” Full Article: Lawmakers weigh fallout of NM election certification drama - Albuquerque JournalNew Mexico: Screams, threats as counties certify vote | Susan Montoya Bryan and Morgan Lee/Associated Press
A standoff over the security of voting machines between a Republican-leaning county in New Mexico and Democratic state officials that threatened to erupt into a wider political crisis was defused Friday after local commissioners voted to certify their election results. The move by the Otero County commission reversed an earlier decision against certifying results of the June 7 primary because of unspecified concerns with Dominion voting systems, a target of widespread conspiracy theories since the 2020 presidential election. The two commissioners who voted in favor said they had been threatened with prosecution by the state attorney general and had no choice under the law — but criticized their position as being little more than rubber stamps. Commissioner Couy Griffin was the lone dissenting vote, but acknowledged that he had no basis for questioning the results of the election. He dialed in to the meeting because he was in Washington, D.C., where hours before he had been sentenced for entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. “My vote to remain a ‘no’ isn’t based on any evidence. It’s not based on any facts,” Griffin said, nevertheless requesting a hand recount of ballots. “It’s only based on my gut feeling and my own intuition.”
Full Article: Screams, threats as New Mexico counties certify vote | AP NewsNew Mexico secretary of state sues county commission over refusal to certify primary results | Fredreka Schouten/CNN
New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver on Tuesday asked the state Supreme Court to order a three-member county commission to certify the results of the June 7 primary elections in Otero County -- after commission members refused to do so this week, citing concerns about Dominion vote-counting machines. The action by the Otero County Commission is one of the first examples of a county blocking the certification of results in the 2022 election cycle, and Oliver, a Democrat, warned of the potential for similar moves in other New Mexico communities. In a statement, Oliver said the Otero County Commissioners were "appeasing unfounded conspiracy theories and potentially nullifying the votes of every Otero County voter who participated in the primary" with their action. On Monday, the commissioners -- meeting as a county canvassing board -- declined to certify the results after repeatedly raising questions about the vote-tallying process. "I have huge concerns with these voting machines," one commissioner, Vickie Marquardt, said during the meeting. "I really do. I just don't think in my heart that they can't be manipulated." "I do not trust these machines," she added. "I want Otero County to have a fair election for everybody." Dominion machines have been the subject of conspiracy theories since the 2020 election from people who subscribe to former President Donald Trump's falsehoods about election fraud. The company has filed several defamation lawsuits.
New Mexico: Otero County declines to certify primary election results | Nicole Maxwell/Alamogordo Daily News
The Otero County Commission did not approve the 2022 Primary election canvass at its special meeting Monday, June 13. The decision came after discussions at this and other Otero County Commission meetings where it was established that the Commission does not trust the accuracy of the Dominion Voting Machines. "I do not trust these machines and I want Otero County to have a fair election for everybody," Otero County Commission Chairwoman Vickie Marquardt said. New Mexico Secretary of State spokesman Alex Curtas said that the Otero County Commission did not follow any current legal protocols. "We are evaluating our next steps on the Otero commission’s vote today regarding the hand counting of ballots, but there is no current legal protocol for such measures outside the post-election audit," Curtas said. "Again, that vote by the commission was not following any legal election protocols is not based on any issue identified in the 2022 Primary Election Results specifically."
Full Article: Otero County declines to certify New Mexico primary election resultsNew Mexico county wants to halt use of vote-count machines | Morgan Lee/Associated Press
A Republican-led county commission in southern New Mexico is seeking to change the way ballots are collected and counted in the run-up to November’s mid-term election. Otero County’s three-member commission includes Cowboys for Trump co-founder Couy Griffin, who ascribes to unsubstantiated theories that former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election. Griffin was convicted of illegally entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds — though not the building — amid the riots on Jan. 6, 2021. The commission voted unanimously Thursday to recount ballots from this week’s statewide primary election by hand, remove state-mandated ballot drop boxes that facilitate absentee voting and discontinue the use of vote tabulation machines in the general election. The initiatives were proposed by Griffin and drew support from an advocacy group for “forensic” election reviews that has combed through Otero County election records and canvassed local addresses for registered voters in search of discrepancies in the 2020 election. New Mexico uses paper ballots that can be double-checked later in all elections, and also relies on tabulation machines to rapidly tally votes while minimizing human error. Tabulation equipment is subject to precertification and election results are audited by random samplings to verify levels of accuracy.
Full Article: New Mexico county wants to halt use of vote-count machines | AP NewsNew Mexico State Auditor finds problems with Otero County’s election audit contract | Nicole MaxwellAlamogordo Daily News
The New Mexico Office of the State Auditor (OSA), issued a letter to Otero County on March 14 stating it found concerns and potential violations of county and state code with Otero County's with EchoMail to audit the 2020 General Election. The concerns included contract oversight deficiencies, potential Governmental Conduct Act violations and possible violations of the Otero County Purchasing Policy. Otero County has until March 29 to respond to the State Auditor's Office letter. The Otero County Commission has supported the audit since the first discussions of it in 2021. "I speak for myself, but I think the other two commissioners feel the same way that we strongly support this audit," Otero County Commission Chairwoman Vickie Marquardt said. The Alamogordo Daily News reached out to Otero County for comment but had not heard back as of 3 p.m. on March 14. "Through our fact-finding procedures, review of documents received from the County, and review of public meetings regarding the procurement, the OSA has identified concerns and potential violations we want to bring to your attention, as the OSA seeks to deter waste and abuse in government," the OSA letter states.
Full Article: New Mexico finds problems with Otero County's election audit contractNew Mexico: Otero County Commission Approves 50K For Election Audit Contract | Tierna Unruh-Enos/The Paper.
At the Jan. 13 Otero County Commission meeting, all three commissioners–Gerald Matherly, Vickie Marquardt and Cowboys for Trump leader Couy Griffin–voted unanimously to approve an election audit contract of $49,750 with EchoMail Inc. Former New Mexico State University law professor David Clements will lead the audit. Clements was fired from the university in 2021 for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccine and for ignoring the mask mandate instituted by the New Mexico Department of Health. The EchoMail software has been used in other election audits such as the ones in Maricopa County, AZ, led by the Cyber Ninjas. Election officials in Maricopa disputed nearly every claim found in the audit. During Clement’s presentation to the commissioners Griffin said, “I don’t think there’s a more appropriate way to spend taxpayer dollars than to ensure our elections aren’t compromised.” According to the Las Cruces Sun-News, while on leave from NMSU pending his termination, Clements traveled to several states alleging election fraud over the 2020 presidential contest as well as opposing public health mandates related to COVID-19. An online fundraiser set up by a political ally had raised more than $280,000 in donations for Clements. He has also has been a guest on numerous podcasts and cable news programs including “Tucker Carlson Tonight” on Fox News. Full Article: Otero County Commission Approves 50K For Election Audit Contract - The Paper.New Mexico: Republicans try to cast doubt on presidential results after Biden won by 11 points | Matthew Reichbach/NM Political Report
Less than a week before New Mexico certifies its election results, President Donald Trump’s political team said there are allegations of voter fraud in the state, even as the state’s post-election process to verify and audit results moved forward. Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani made the allegations as part of a rambling press conference on Thursday that contradicted some arguments the Trump campaign has made in courts. The Trump campaign has consistently lost their cases as they attempt to overturn election results in states where the Republican lost, like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. “And the state that we’re looking at that would surprise you, we’re seeing very, very significant amount of fraud allegations in the state of New Mexico,” Giuliani claimed. A spokesman for the Secretary of State said elections in New Mexico were secure. He also said there have been, to his knowledge, there have been no lawsuits filed yet. “We have safe and secure elections here in New Mexico because of our use of best practices like paper ballots, regular voter roll maintenance, and post-election audits,” the spokesman, Alex Curtas, said in a statement.
Full Article: Republicans try to cast doubt on NM presidential results after Biden won by 11 points | The NM Political Report
New Mexico Supreme Court denies GOP election petition | Dan Boyd/Albuquerque Journal
The New Mexico Supreme Court on Tuesday unanimously rejected a Republican-backed election lawsuit, even as the GOP moved forward with a second court challenge over absentee ballot protocols. With state election officials pushing early voting due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, voting via absentee ballot has already hit unprecedented levels across New Mexico. A total of 265,739 absentee ballots had been cast statewide as of Tuesday morning – or about 44.8% of the roughly 593,000 votes cast in all. That deluge of absentee ballots has prompted lawsuits even before vote counting begins, especially since the state’s laws regarding absentee voting procedures were updated in 2019 and earlier this year. The petition denied Tuesday by three Supreme Court justices – the court’s two remaining justices had recused themselves – sought to guarantee that poll watchers could observe the initial verification of absentee ballots.
Full Article: NM Supreme Court denies GOP election petition » Albuquerque Journal
New Mexico: Concerns about voter intimidation loom in election run-up | Bella Davis/Daily Lobo
Albuquerque resident Eleanor Chavez was driving by the 98th and Central early voting site on Saturday, Oct. 17 when she passed a caravan of flag-waving Trump supporters who drove through the parking lot. Hours later, she went back and saw a man with a Trump flag on the back of his truck yelling at voters before the police arrived. “Who does that? I’ve been voting for a hundred million years, and I’ve never seen anything like that,” Chavez said. Chavez said she was planning to vote that day but decided to wait because of the activity she observed, which she called “threatening.”According to an Albuquerque Police Department report, officers responded to a call about the same man Chavez observed. The presiding judge on site told an officer that she was afraid he was going to “shoot up” voters.Officers issued a criminal trespass notice against the man, who was identified in the police report as Isidro Casarez. The notice was issued not because Casarez intimidated voters, but because he was “acting disorderly” in the parking lot of a business. He had been parked in front of a T-Mobile store in the same shopping center as the polling site and refused to leave when an employee asked him to.The Bernalillo County district attorney’s office is investigating the Trump caravan incident, spokesperson Brandale Mills-Cox said.New Mexico election officials and local nonprofit organizations are taking a number of steps — like training hundreds of poll watchers and setting up a legal hotline — to prepare for the potential of more incidents like that of Oct. 17.