Commentary: New Mexico needs some new tools to ensure opportunities for safe voting in the general election during a time of continuing pandemic, according to Common Cause New Mexico, which is supporting an election reform bill, Senate Bill 4, sponsored by Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto and Rep. Linda Trujillo, during the special session.
With an avalanche of voters expected in the general election, the absentee ballot system needs to be streamlined, and more polling places identified for native American voters, the non-partisan, good-government group says.
During the June primary, almost 60% of the record number of votes cast were cast using absentee ballots, but there were myriad problems. Between 1,300-3,000 votes were not counted because many voters did not receive their ballots in time, or the US Post Office did not return them to the county clerk in time to meet the deadline.
“Too many voters of both parties were disenfranchised in this broken process,” said Heather Ferguson, executive director of Common Cause New Mexico. “When voters make the effort to vote and their votes are not counted, our current democracy system is failing them and everyone else. Fortunately, that is something that can be fixed through legislative action.”
Ferguson said that the measures in the election reform bill would be temporary and apply only to this year’s general election. In addition, she said that they ensure every possible avenue for voters—not just absentee balloting.
The proposed reforms include:
-Imposing earlier deadlines for county clerks to send absentee applications and ballots so more time is allowed to voters to fill in and return ballots
- Polling places on tribal land shall not be closed, consolidated or modified without tribal permission; tribes and pueblos shall have at least one polling location within their sovereign boundaries
-Ballots would be marked with a USPS intelligent bar code for better tracking
-Clear instruction will be printed on each ballot to indicate that ballots may be returned to any open polling location up to and including the day of the general election
-Signature and last four digits of social security number must be provided under the privacy flap of the return mail ballot envelope. County clerk must notify voter if ballot rejected for failure to sign and how to remedy
- The Secretary of the Department of Health shall procure sufficient personal protective equipment and may issue public health orders on the conduct of election in specific areas of the state in order to preserve the lives of election officials and voters, in compliance with the Center for Disease Control guidelines. If needed, the Secretary could call a meeting of the Legislative Election Health and Safety Task Force, which could authorize the Secretary of State to take action to ensure the continuity of government through the election.
Common Cause is a nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard as equals in the political process.