This article in the New Mexico Political Journal gives the history behind New Mexico’s law regarding straight-ticket devices on general election ballots. The legislature in 2001 repealed the authorization for a straight-ticket device. But, even afterwards, New Mexico’s former Secretary of State kept the device. Finally, in 2011, a new Secretary of State said she would not keep it, unless the legislature reauthorized it. As the article explains, there were then many attempts by legislators to restore authorization for the device, but they never passed.
The Secretary of State elected in 2014 is now threatening to again restore the device, despite the lack of any authorization in the law. Thanks to Rick Lass for the link.
Sue the LAWLESS MORON SOS – and bankrupt IT – the LAWLESS monster in NM.
Maggie Toulouse Oliver was first elected in a special election in 2016.
The presidential election in 2000 in New Mexico was quite close, but little attention was paid because of Florida, and the New Mexico result would not have flipped the election. I recall that there was an issue with straight-ticket voting in some counties, but can’t find anything now. Presumably, the 2001 law change was related (the old law cited in the article, did not say anything about making exceptions.
“it permits each voter, at other than primary elections, to vote a straight party ticket in one operation.”
It didn’t say anything about permitting a voter with two or more operations to vote a split ticket. The Democratic Secretary of State’s elected in 1998, 2002, and 2006 ignored the 2001 law change.
Dianna Duran, elected in 2010, was the first Republican Secretary of State since 1928. She implemented the law. You might note that the first two attempts to reinstate the device did not bother to specify that a voter might override the device. The 2013 attempt finally put that in code.
Duran was re-elected in 2014, defeating Toulouse Oliver. Duran was subsequently charged with embezzling campaign funds to pay for her gambling losses. There was also was an identity theft charge based on her naming her campaign treasurer without bothering to inform him of that fact. She pleaded guilty to several charges, was sentenced to 30 days in jail, restitution of $28,000; and required to give 144 speeches about her crimes, and not go near a casino.
There were two interim appointed SOS, and then Toulouse Oliver was elected in a special election in 2016 for the final two years of the term. The election was coincident with the presidential election which Clinton easily won.
2018 is the first general election that Toulouse Oliver will administer. She will also presumably be seeking election to a full term. That is, she is self dealing.
In 2014, there were three statewide Democrats elected, despite the easy re-election of Republican Governor Susanna Martinez and Duran.
Presence of the device may be an inducement to use it. In addition, the SOS is presumably in charge of certifying voting equipment, and educating voters on its use.
Even if people could cast their votes with a content-neutral open all write-in ballot, a blank space could be provided on the state ballot allowing the voter to write-in the name of a party to vote for all of that party’s candidates in an election.
The voter could also use that space to vote None of the candidates are acceptable. This would prevent anyone from tampering with a blank ballot or a ballot with under votes for certain offices.
This assumes there are safeguards to prevent the substitution of whole ballots.
@DFR,
How would anyone (voter or election official) determine who a party’s candidates were?