A temporary election worker was dismissed in Doña Ana County after his anonymous posts to a far-right internet forum indicated his plan to secretly record election workers and voters while working at his assigned polling location at an elementary school. The unfounded claims of widespread fraud persist online despite no evidence to back them up.
Doña Ana County Clerk Amanda López Askin said she found the man's anonymous posts to be grounds for dismissal.
“This individual was dismissed because there was some kind of forewarning that they were not going to follow the rules that were given to them and they could potentially violate voter privacy and the secrecy of the ballot,” López Askin said.
As unsupported claims of voter fraud continue to circulate, López Askin said she believes that this is an isolated incident, and reiterated that her office will continue its mission of securing votes of the surrounding community.
“What are we supposed to do? Except continue to secure our elections, ask people to work elections to see the process and to see the checks and balances, and try to battle myths and [misinformation] that continues to affect the confidence of voters. Which is the real tragedy here.”
Individuals experiencing problems regarding voter intimidation, or who have questions about their rights at polling places, can call the non-partisan Common Cause and ACLU hotline. The number for the English hotline is (866)-687-8683, and the number for the Spanish hotline is (888)-839-8682.
