Democracy for New Mexico

Federal Agents Dispatched to Albuquerque for Election

Guest blogger Suzanne Prescott reports:
Bernalillo County Clerk election coordinator, Jeff Carbajal, confirmed that Albuquerque is among the 65 cities to which 800 election observers from the Dept of Justice will be dispatched on election day. As reported on Air America Radio, the agents are being sent to areas that have been deemed potential trouble spots.

The exact precinct(s) where agents will appear will not be known until the morning of the election when precinct presiding judges receive their precinct election material, according to Carbajal.

Some questions remain to be answered:

• How were so-called potential trouble spots identified?
• What evidence will they be looking for that confirms or denies the existence of trouble?
• Why can't we know beforehand where observers will be dispatched?

Suggestion: When you vote ask if any federal DoJ observers are present and if so record the time and leave a comment here to document your observation or email drhodgepodge@comcast.net

Saturday in Santa Fe: Gary King's Frito Pie Fiesta!

Click for flyer (PDF) for all the details!

Watch Joaquin Vote Early

Go ahead, you know you want to. Joaquin shows you how easy it is to vote early. You've still got a couple days to vote early at 13 locations in the Albuquerque area -- until 6:00 PM Saturday.

More Showings of Stealing America: Vote by Vote Set for Santa Fe

The Center for Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Santa Fe has added additional screenings of Stealing America: Vote by Vote on Thursday, November 2 at 1:30, and Saturday (11/4), Sunday (11/5), and Tuesday (11/7) at 2:30 PM. The show lasts about one hour. CCA is located behind the Armory for the Arts at 1050 Old Pecos Trail, just north of Cordova Road in Santa Fe. For more about this important documentary film, which includes interviews with New Mexico election reform activists, see our earlier post.

UPDATED: Herrera Agrees to Do Election Audit in Bernalillo County

UPDATE 10.31.06 from comments by Terry Riley:
We need to follow up on this more. I am trying to get a confirmation that Mary is going to do an audit that compares paper ballots to computer counts. An audit could just be a rereading of the machine counts. I sent Mary an e-mail and am waiting for her response. We have to have an observed audit of paper ballots and to compare those results to machine counts. She may be planning to do this, we need to make sure this is what she means. Please e-mail Mary at meherrera@bernco.gov

Original post from Terry Riley:
As Pat Leahan said Saturday evening at the KUNM fundraiser showing of the movie, "Stealing America, Vote by Vote," NEWS ITEM - NEWS FLASH - BREAKING NEWS!

Bernalillo County Clerk Mary Hererra said at a campaign stop in Las Vegas that she is going to do an audit of 2% of the Bernalillo County election. To follow up on this I sent an e-mail to Mary thanking her and I thanked her for not running a negative campaign. I received a response from her today saying that she is going to do the audit as a test and educational issue for the Bernalillo County election.

Congratulations Mary! Please e-mail Mary and thank her for this position.  Her e-mail is: meherrera@bernco.gov

Editor's Note: In an earlier post today we passed along the news that PRC District 4 candidate David Bacon is requesting that Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron agree to do an 2% audit statewide. To learn more about this, click here.

PRC Candidate David Bacon Calls for Audit of 2006 NM Election

From David Bacon, Green Party candidate, PRC District 4:
David Bacon's campaign sent the following letter this morning, asking Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron and county clerks to conduct a 2% random audit of machines used to tally the votes in this election. A law was passed requiring such audits, but the law does not take effect until next year.

"It is the primary duty of state and county elections officials to assure that elections are conducted transparently, and that votes are counted accurately," says David Bacon. "All we are asking for is a 2% random audit, to make sure the new scanners and tabulators are functioning properly. With the new paper ballots, a hand count will be simple enough to accomplish, and is a small price to pay to assure accurate results and to ascertain citizen confidence in our election system."

This letter was emailed to the Secretary of State and county clerks this morning, October 30:

Dear Secretary of State Vigil-Giron,

It has recently come to my attention that your office is not planning to conduct a random audit of the November General Election. While I understand that you may not be legally required to do so, I urge you to conduct random audits of 2% of the scanners and tabulators in every county.

The move to paper ballots is a great accomplishment in restoring voter confidence in our elections and our government, and I applaud your office’s hard work in being ready to conduct the 2006 election using the new ballots and machines.

But without the audit, we have no way of knowing that the new scanners and tabulators are any more reliable than the machines they are replacing. The law authorizing the switch to an all paper system is insufficient in itself to assure voters that their votes will be counted accurately. An audit is a necessary final step to demonstrate the reliability of the new system.

In the sea of national news stories about the potential problems of electronic voting, New Mexico stands out as an island of certainty with our verifiable paper ballots. Please don't miss this opportunity to ascertain that our vote count is accurate by requiring a random audit of this election.

Sincerely,
David Bacon

From more information on story contact David Bacon at 505-920-5707 or Rick Lass at 505-920-0540

2006 Election: Bernalillo County Sample Ballots, Voter Guides

The Bernalillo County Clerk's office has sample ballots for all districts within the county. Just and the website will produce exactly the ballot that includes all the races in your area. As reported previously, early in-person voting started on October 21 and continues until November 4th in counties all over New Mexico. And you can still also vote by absentee (mail-in) ballot but you must request one from your county clerk.

Click below for November 2006 voter info that includes nonpartisan info on candidates, as well as constitutional amendments and bond issues:

Albuquerque Tribune Voter Guide

Albuquerque Journal Voter Guide

League of Women Voters of NM Voter Guide

Legislative Council Service Pros and Cons of Proposed Constitutional Amendments

Contact Info for all NM county clerks

VOTE! Scary Pumpkin Edition

The maker of this video sent me this link. I don't know who she is, but she certainly makes sense, don't you think? Let's be sure to V-O-T-E, or face the consequences of that missing punkin chunk. Pass it on. Pass it on. Pass it on.

Early Voting Tips: Bernalillo County

Guest post by Suzanne Prescott:
Early stories in the press and TV might worry some but if you play the odds, voting won't take that long. First - any registered voter who wants to vote early can vote at ANY of the early voting sites. According to Bernalillo count clerk, Mary Herrera, the sites with the shortest lines are at:

• BERNALILLO COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE City-County Government Building, One Civic Plaza
• RIO BRAVO SHOPPING CENTER 1698 Rio Bravo SW
• LOS VECINOS COMMUNITY CENTER Tijeras

So the best tip for many is to drive the extra few minutes to vote at one of those sites. (The heaviest voting yesterday took place at ACADEMY OFFICE PARK, 6739 Academy NE.)

Second - According to Herrera the least busy time is between 6 and 8 PM. Wait until after dinner and drive to an early voting location of your choice. Voting at a time when you don't have to be back at work is also bound to be less stressful.

Third -  take supplies with you.  Early voters could be seen with books, water bottles and magazines. We also suggest you might think about a folding camp chair and one of those TIVO or Dish mini screens (PVR or DVR) for a quick peek at your favorite show. Perhaps the most interesting activity would be to turn to others in the line and ask them what they think of the TV ads that have been playing, how many  voters they think rely on ads rather than more careful analysis of where candidates stand on the issues. That should make for lively discussion.

Lastly - think about this. Whenever a new system is introduced there is a learning curve and a period adjustment to work out the "bugs." Our old system was broken; it needed to be fixed in order for everyone to feel that the vote they had cast was being counted. Part of the reason voting is taking more than a couple of minutes is that the ballot itself is long. There are many races and a number of issues voters are asked to cast their ballot on. The ballot is printed in small type so we suggest that you take a magnifying glass if you have one, although magnifying glasses are available at the voting locations. You might also want to take a mini flashlight in case a brighter light makes the ballot easier to read. As always, any voter may request help with voting if needed. Use whatever help is there to get in and out as quickly as possible.

If you've voted early, what was your experience and how long did it take? What tips, if any, do you have to offer?

For your information early voting for the Nov. 7 general election is available at 13 locations throughout Bernalillo County:

• THE BERNALILLO COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE City-County Government Building, One Civic Plaza
• RIO BRAVO SHOPPING CENTER 1698 Rio Bravo SW
• LOS VECINOS COMMUNITY CENTER Tijeras
• SANDIA VISTA SHOPPING CENTER 11500 Menaul NE
• GLENRIO PLAZA 851 Coors NW
• ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS CITY CENTRE 6400 Uptown NE
• 5024 FOURTH NW
• INTEGRITY PLAZA 1500 Wyoming NE
• PARKLAND PLAZA 1118 San Mateo SE
• PLAZA LADERA 5300 Sequoia NW
• 900 FOURTH NW
• ACADEMY OFFICE PARK 6739 Academy NE
• LOS RANCHOS VILLA 6601 Fourth NW

Editor's Notes:
Voting Hours at the Bernalillo County sites listed above are:
Tuesday, October 24 thru Friday, October 27: Noon - 8:00 pm
Saturday, October 28: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Tuesday, October 31 thru Friday, November 3: Noon - 8:00 pm
Saturday, November 4: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

For info on early voting sites in other counties, contact your County Clerk. You can find contact information for them here.

KUNM Benefit: New Film on Election Fraud Features NM Activists

From KUNM:
A special benefit screening of the new documentary, "STEALING AMERICA: Vote by Vote," will benefit KUNM. The film includes interviews with NM election reform advocates John Boyd, Pat Leahan, and Linda Yardley, as well as Greg Palast and others. The paper ballot lawsuit in New Mexico is an important aspect of this documentary. KUNM's Jim Williams will be the event host and filmmaker Dorothy Fadiman of Concentric Media and Albuquerque attorney John Boyd will be the featured guests.

Saturday, October 28, 2006, 7:00 PM
The KiMo Theater
423 Central NW, Albuquerque, NM
Followed by Panel Discussion
Fundraiser for KUNM Radio
There will be no advance ticket sales, but KUNM will be accepting donations at the door. Suggested donation is $10.

Stealing America: Vote by Vote is a new feature-length documentary on the 2004 national elections by Emmy-winning, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Dorothy Fadiman. Harvey Wasserman ofThe Free Press writes that Stealing America is “powerful, moving, infuriating, comprehensive and brilliant.”

Filmmaker Dorothy Fadiman will be on hand to discuss the filmmaking process and participate in the panel discussion, along with Albuquerque attorney John Boyd, who has been the chief litigator in the election reform lawsuits and is featured in the film.

To learn more about the documentary visit StealingAmerica.org. To find out about the films of Dorothy Fadiman go to Concentric.org.

Taos and Santa Fe Screenings:
The film will also be screened in Taos on October 26th and in Santa Fe on October 29th. Click for more info.