Thread by @toddhathorne

to trash Poll Challengers, we do NOT have to sponsor the bill. Period. 2) Call your State Senator today and ask them to OPPOSE SB 6. There are way too many bad parts to this bill.

I had a discussion with Sen. Brandt about 2 weeks ago to ADDING Signature Verification to any

election integrity bill. This action would force a discussion about WHO is actually voting. After all is said and done, isn’t that the crux of the matter? New Mexico Election Integrity Project wants every qualified elector to be able to cast their ballot and have it counted.

No one else. A qualified elector is who the legislature wants to vote.

SB 6 has Republican sponsors. Sen. Ivey-Soto has coopted three more Republicans. Diamond, Lane and Nibert. Removing challengers from the process is a major step AWAY from transparency. And these three

are doing exactly that with SB 6.

We need to be able to articulate the conservative principles that are violated so that those in the “wavering” column will decide that we stand for good things.

We stand for our Republic being built on the foundation of our precincts.

SB 6 forces more centralization through Convenient Centers. This means more homogeny and bureaucrats deciding whose votes are counted and who’s votes are not counted. I want people from my precinct managing my neighborhood votes. Not Santa Fe. Not Washington.

SB 6 provides that FEDERAL AGENCIES will have control over “security” of the elections. I do not trust DC. Neither should you.

This principle is violated again by progressives attacking the requirement of Citizens being on the Election Board. Yes. I said exactly that.

It would allow a NEW definition for Election Board member to include “qualified resident”. It actually strikes the requirement of this person being a citizen. Take a look at the bill itself and you decide what this means.

We know that the government that governs least,

governs best. The entire concept of an Election Related Organization is an effort to weaken party structure. Be clear about the fact that ERO’s do not appoint challengers. Parties do. County Parties were “given” the status of Election Related Organizations by an arbitrary

statement of a random member of the Secretary of State’s office. That was it. Period. No official act of the legislature. No case in court. Nothing. Just decision by a bureaucrat. Now Progressives in the Legislature wants to codify this move to increase the power of the

government. Half of the elections that take place would have to SUBMIT POTENTIAL OBSERVERS, instead of challengers being appointed by the party. SB 6 goes in the opposite direction by giving more power to government. We have a zero-sum game here. More power to the government

reduces the power of the individual.

Wages for election workers be set in Santa Fe. SB 6 removes wage amounts from the power of the County Clerk. And you can bet there is not a desire to control costs in Maggie’s office.
"1-2-16. ELECTION BOARD--MESSENGERS--COMPENSATION.--

A. Members of an election board and messengers shall be compensated for their services at an hourly rate set by the secretary of state…county shall not be less than twice the [federal] minimum hourly wage rate…” Straight from the bill.

Words have meaning, and ideas have

consequences. SB 6 shifts the definitions. Specifically in the power of the clerk. It was not that long ago that the Parties decided who counted votes. Previous legislation took that power from the Parties and gave it to the county clerks. Now SB 6 extends that power to

fully control every member of the election board. That power would include the ability to approve of a challenger. While this bill is not specific about authority over the challengers, it says “"1-1-16. REGISTRATION OFFICER.--As used in the Election Code, "registration officer"

means the secretary of state, a county clerk, [or] a clerk's authorized deputy, a clerk authorized member of [the] an election board [of registration]…” Challengers are election officials. They have duties and responsibilities spelled out in statute. They are independent of

the authorization process of the clerk. The concept here is that opposition begats differing points of view, differing perspectives are more likely to reveal truth. This bill will mean less diversity in perspective. We support competitive roles that are not contentious.

SB 6 defeats this principle.

Transparency fosters trust in the results. Removing control of ballots from the Election Board furthers the opportunity for fraud. Messengers are broadly defined and are not held accountable as election board members. This also includes

transportation of ballots. This is a duty that should only be the responsibility of the Election Board. Period.

Concentration of power is the proposed course of action of the Secretary of State and the clerks. By requiring training to be provided to challengers by the clerks,

the expectation is that more training would discourage participation. Diversity of thought also is a casualty of this bill. More hurdles to obtaining credentials will reduce the number of challengers.

Oversight is not subject to approval of those doing the work. SB 6 grants

authority to those doing the work to say who has oversight. Let that sink in. Phrases like “Fox guarding the hen house” comes to mind. “(6) has been removed from service as a challenger, watcher, election observer or county canvass observer in the current or immediately

preceding election cycle … by unanimous vote of the presiding judge and election judges of an election board for violating the permitted or prohibited activities of challengers, watchers, election observers or county canvass observers; " This section literal says the people who

might be cheaters get to dictate who watch them.

Here is the link to the bill sponsors. Call them. Ask them to remove their sponsorship. Email them. Ask them to remove their sponsorship.

Ryan Lane [e-mail] [phone]

Greg Nibert [e-mail] [phone] [phone]
Crystal Diamond [e-mail] [phone]

Here is the look up for all legislators. Call your legislator and ask them to OPPOSE SB 6. Be polite. Be firm.

Find My Legislator - New Mexico Legislature (nmlegis.gov)

Respectfully,

Todd R. Hathorne
New Mexico Election Integrity Project
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