NM Supreme Court Rules: League of Women Voters Reaction
The League of Women Voters of New Mexico believes that voting is a fundamental citizen right that must be guaranteed. Today the New Mexico Supreme Court handed down their decision in Riddle v. Oliver. We are disappointed that in the current public health crisis the NM Supreme Court decided against granting the petition from the county clerks, which asked that they be allowed to conduct the 2020 primary election as an all-mail election supplemented by service centers offering assistance in voting to anyone who needed it. Instead, the court directed the county clerks, with assistance from the Secretary of State, to mail a request for an absentee ballot to all registered voters.
"The League of Women Voters believes the absentee ballot application process creates an unnecessary obstacle to voting by mail, which lands hard on disabled, elderly, rural, low literacy, and low-income voters who are disproportionately people of color," said NM League President Hannah Burling.
"League members will do our best to make sure that voters will not be denied their voting rights by educating them about the process for submitting absentee ballot applications. The deadline for the applications is May 28, but that is only five days before Election Day. To avoid the need to vote in person, it should be sent in much earlier, said Burling.
We are dedicated to ensuring that our elections remain free, fair, and accessible.