New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver is working to make ballot drop-off boxes a permanent part of the election landscape, and many GOP members oppose the idea.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that some New Mexican residents have submitted comments in opposition of the ballot boxes in addition to those of the GOP opposing it.
"What stops one from being cut-down, stolen, tampered with or set on fire? The only action this ensures is further potential fraud. Cameras and bolts are not security," Brett Kokinadis, 2nd Republican Chair for Santa Fe, wrote in a tweet.
Election drop boxes have sparked a GOP court challenge after they were implemented for the 2020 election in a limited capacity due to the pandemic and rises in absentee ballots.
Tina Dziuk, a member of the Republican Party Election Integrity Committee asked whether the boxes would be monitored, as she also believes it would create the potential for more fraud.
The boxes are safe, New Mexico Bureau of Elections Director Kari Fresquez said during a public hearing last week concerning the proposed ruled, which saw 90 public comments submitted before the meeting and about a dozen comments during the meeting, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
“They provide a way for voters to return their absentee ballot without it being exposed to anyone except elections officials,” Fresquez said, as reported by the Albuquerque Journal.
Frequez went on to say that part of having the boxes would also be security cameras and bolted voting boxes at all times. GOP members do not believe this is enough to help circumnavigate possible fraud, as according to the Albuquerque Journal, a combination of federal and state dollars would fund the boxes placed in specific locations depending on a "voter population formula set by the Secretary of State’s Office." According to the article, only county clerks or full-time deputy county clerks would be allowed to retrieve the ballots from the secured drop boxes.
New Mexico has used a paper ballot system since 2006 that requires voters, except those with absentee ballots, to present their ballots for use in a a manually electronic tabulating voting machine, with state law requiring votes to be submitted personally or via personal legal guardians or direct family members.
According to Albuquerque Journal, approximately 928,000 votes were cast in November's 2020 election, with 35.4% being cast as absentee ballots.
