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Republican Officials In New Mexico County Refuse To Certify Election Results—And State Officials Want A Criminal Probe
Republican officials in a rural New Mexico county refused to certify their primary election results this week due to vague concerns about ballot boxes and voting machines, echoing former President Donald Trump's conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and setting up a showdown with state authorities.
KEY FACTS
SURPRISING FACT
In March, Griffin—who founded a group called Cowboys for Trump—was convicted of trespassing on Capitol grounds during the January 6 riot. He faces a sentencing hearing Friday.
More in the link
Republican Officials In New Mexico County Refuse To Certify Election Results—And State Officials Want A Criminal Probe
Republican officials in a rural New Mexico county refused to certify their primary election results this week due to vague concerns about ballot boxes and voting machines, echoing former President Donald Trump's conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and setting up a showdown with state authorities.
KEY FACTS
- New Mexico held its primaries last week for a gubernatorial election and some local races, but commissioners in Otero County—home to about 68,000 people—voted 3-0 against certifying the results Monday, four days after the county commission also voted to demand a hand recount, restrict ballot drop boxes and stop using voting machines made by Dominion Voting Systems.
- In an interview with Forbes, Commissioner Couy Griffin didn’t offer any specific evidence of voter fraud during last week’s primary, but members of the county commission have cited miscellaneous “concerns” about Dominion voting machines: “In my heart, I don’t know if it is right,” Commissioner Vickie Marquardt said in Monday’s meeting.
- There’s no proof of widespread voting machine-based fraud, but beyond that, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver’s office now says the county is breaking state election law by refusing to certify results, demanding a recount that it has no power to order and threatening to clash with state voting machine and vote dropbox rules.
- Oliver’s spokesperson Alex Curtas told Forbes the Otero County commission is “going rogue,” noting the county clerk says she doesn’t have legal authority to do a recount.
- In a letter Thursday, Oliver asked the Attorney General’s office to open a “prompt investigation” into Otero County, arguing the commissioners’ votes may “implicate civil and criminal violations of law.”
- Attorney General Hector Balderas said in a statement: “The Commission must comply with the rule of law or we will take legal action.”
SURPRISING FACT
In March, Griffin—who founded a group called Cowboys for Trump—was convicted of trespassing on Capitol grounds during the January 6 riot. He faces a sentencing hearing Friday.
More in the link