The Otero County commission is seeking changes in how elections are held and ballots are counted, which would include the elimination of vote-counting machines and ballot drop boxes.
A three-member commission in Otero County voted unanimously "to recount ballots from [the recent] statewide primary election by hand, remove state-mandated ballot drop boxes that facilitate absentee voting, and discontinue the use of vote tabulation machines in the general election," according to KOB 4.
The changes were proposed by Cowboys for Trump co-founder Couy Griffin, who was convicted of illegally entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds during the riots on Jan. 6, 2021. Griffin believes that former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election.
R.B. Nichols, Otero County attorney, said that "the commission's vote to get rid of vote tabulating machines and drop boxes is not binding on the county clerk," KOB 4 reported. He warned that changing the election code would probably involve going to court.
Alex Curtas, a spokesperson for the Secretary of State's office, said the commission appears to be reaching beyond its authority because there are no provisions in New Mexico's state code about recounting votes by hand. The commission's moves are in conflict with the state election code and other statutes.
County Commissioner Vickie Marquardt is concerned about the security of future elections.
"Everybody keeps talking about the 2020 election and overturning the election," she said. "I am talking about the 2022 election and the 2024 election and the 2026 election. If we don't find out what's going on, we'll never know."
Griffin is not running for reelection or any other office after his term expires this year, according to KOB 4.
Election security will continue to be a topic of debate.
David Clements, a former public prosecutor, calls himself a traveling salesman for forensic election audits, KOB 4 reported. He demanded access to the vote tabulating machines and their computer coding to check for a possible internet connection and other vulnerabilities that could allow outsiders to influence the count.
"We don't dispute that under the election code the Secretary of State can select voting machines," Clements said. "The question is, what effect does it have on this commission to use something they know is not trustworthy … At that point, you all become culpable."
