Report Highlights Overall Success of Vote Counting and Processes at Polling Sites, With Some Areas of Improvement Needed in Accessibility and Worker Training
Albuquerque, NM – Observe New Mexico Elections (ONME), a nonpartisan observation effort designed to increase trust and transparency in elections, recently finalized a full report on findings gathered from ONME’s election observers during early voting and on election day, November 5, 2024.
On Election Day, ONME mobilized 160 election site watchers in 29 of New Mexico’s 33 counties. During early voting, 50 individuals observed 91 sites in 24 counties. ONME watchers observed processes from start to finish at their respective locations. They also observed the logic and accuracy testing in 20 counties, poll worker trainings in 25 counties and the county canvass in 24 counties.
Findings showed that all votes were counted, the polls opened and closed on time, registered voters did not face long lines, equipment functioned properly, voting privacy was maintained, voters did not encounter intimidation or electioneering, and elections were certified. Specifically, the report found that:
- All voting locations observed opened within 15 minutes of the required opening time.
- 97% of ONME watchers reported that the secrecy of the ballot was maintained.
- ONME watchers did not report any concerns related to insufficient staffing of early in-person voting locations, suggesting that decisions made about staffing were generally appropriate to the local context and the size of the location.
- In 97% of locations observed, ONME watchers reported that the precinct tabulators functioned correctly throughout the day (where the tabulators did not function correctly, ONME watchers did not consider that this had a significantly negative impact on the process. There were rare cases of error codes or jamming).
“This important, nonpartisan information-gathering effort – led by and for New Mexicans – found that elections went well, votes were counted, and problems were limited,” said Carmen Lopez, Co-Leader of ONME. “We are pleased to see that the findings reflect sufficient staffing levels, poll timeliness, proper functioning of tabulators and voter privacy. All of these things in conjunction made it possible to ensure every vote was counted and New Mexicans’ voices were heard this election cycle. The findings of our report – showing both successes and room for improvement – will allow us to make the voting process and poll worker training even stronger and more transparent in the years to come.”
The report reflected a limited number of problems related to voting – largely related to same-day registration delays, improper questions related to voter identification asked of voters by poll workers, and the level of attention given to vulnerable populations while voting (with regards to accessibility, visibility, language options, etc.). Specifically, the report found that:
- Voters requesting same-day voter registration were reported at 84% of early voting locations observed. Unlike voters who were already registered, for those who opted for same-day registration, there were some reports of long lines and delays in getting people registered. This was largely caused by limited server capacity.
- At 12 locations, ONME watchers reported that election officials inappropriately asked voters to present voter identification in Bernalillo, Hidalgo, San Juan, and eight locations in Sandoval County. (Under New Mexico state statute, voters are only required to present identification if they are registering for the first time or updating their registration).
- 85% of ONME watchers reported that their voting location had a visible, accessible voting system at the time the location opened – leaving some room for improvement. At 24 locations, ONME watchers could not identify an accessible voting system when the voting location opened.
- In 30% of the locations where ONME observed, voters requested language-related accommodations. In 77% of locations observed, election translation services were available in Spanish – leaving some room for improvement in expanding translation services.
“We are glad to see that voters faced limited problems across polling locations that were observed, and these findings will allow us to make improvements in the future,”said Garrey Carruthers, former New Mexico Governor and ONME Advisory Board Member. “Findings from the report suggest that some counties may need to review procedures for training poll workers related to voter identification inquiries. Other findings suggest that election officials may need to review training protocols for the use of accessible voting systems and ensure language access for multilingual and non-English-language-dominant voters. And, as always, it is imperative that appropriate attention is given to the most vulnerable among us during elections. Taking these findings in stride, we look forward to continuing to identify ways we can improve the quality of elections of New Mexico, ultimately with the goal of increasing trust and transparency for every voter.”
For more details on these findings, read the full report and executive summary of the report here.
About Observe New Mexico Elections
The mission of Observe New Mexico Elections is to increase transparency and trust in New Mexico’s elections by training and deploying nonpartisan election observers throughout the state. Observers will report on how election laws and procedures are followed, representing all voters without interfering in the electoral process. Findings from their observations will be compiled to assess the overall quality of elections in New Mexico.
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