SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — 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 the November mid-term election. 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 commissioner and Cowboys for Trump cofounder Couy Griffin. He ascribes to unsubstantiated theories that the former president won the 2020 election.
KRWG Public Media reached out to the Secretary of State's office for comment. Communications Director Alex Curtas issued the following statement:
"The commission has no legal authority to pursue any of those items they voted on at their meeting earlier this week. This is simply more conspiracy peddling by Couy Griffin and the NM Audit Force. There is absolutely no evidence to support the conspiratorial claims that continue to motivate their actions on these matters. The 2020 election was considered the most secure in U.S. history and New Mexico has robust safeguards before, during, and after every election that ensure the integrity of every vote."