Why do some politicians and their supporters say “we don’t know if elections are secure” over and over?
Candidates are supposed to earn our votes with real policy and ideas – but for some, the backup plan is to undermine the process itself.
No one knows that playbook better than Donald Trump and his enablers…
That includes Tina Peters, the disgraced Colorado county clerk who tried to breach her own election equipment and who appears to once again have Trump’s ear. It also includes the makers of the widely cited conspiracy film 2,000 Mules, who apologized and pulled it from distribution after being forced to acknowledge it was misleading.
Here in New Mexico, we have our own brand of election denial, with wild claims from figures like David and Erin Clements consistently checked and found to be false.
Sadly, they have company, including people who are still in power or running for office:
- Vickie Marquardt was one of three Otero County Commissioners who attempted to stop election certification in 2022, and again raised similar concerns this September, despite providing no evidence or specific allegations.
- Isabella Solis voted against certifying the 2020 general election canvass as a sitting Doña Ana County Commissioner. She is now running for NM House District 37.
- Jay Block currently serves NM Senate District 12, but back in 2022 when he was a Sandoval County Commissioner, he voted against certifying election results
- Ramona Goolsby is running for Secretary of State despite close ties to the Clements and a history of questioning election results
- Larry Marker is a US Senate candidate who shared photos of himself posing at an event with Steve Bannon and Mike Lindell, key figures in the election denial movement. He’s also contributed articles to a right wing blog alongside the Clements.
- John Block has been the NM House District 51 representative since 2023 and has a long history of election denial activities
Through it all, our state’s election officials, county clerks, and poll workers have done their job – responding transparently and fixing issues, as we expect them to do.
That’s probably why NM is consistently ranked in the top 10 in the nation by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Elections Performance Index.
Elections are run by the people, for the people (and that’s how it should be)
In New Mexico, our elections aren’t run by Washington or by conspiracy theorists. They’re run by our neighbors. County clerks and their staff – Democrats, Republicans, and Independents/Unaffiliated – administer our elections under state law.
We also have strong systems with multiple safeguards:
- Ballots double-checked for accuracy
- Voting machine security with paper backup
- Signature verification for mail-in ballots
- Secure ballot drop boxes
- Manual recounts required in close races
- Post-election audits to verify accuracy (these are available for public inspection)
- Laws against intimidation, interference, and armed troops at the polls
- Well-trained election workers and bipartisan teams that monitor every step
- Election officials who take oaths of honesty and responsibility
- Legal penalties exist for election fraud
To learn more about those guardrails, visit the Secretary of State’s website or VoteInfoNM.org and click/tap on the “election security” FAQs.
Upholding the voices and votes of New Mexicans
The tactics may change but they’re all part of the same playbook. We’ve seen this before, and that means we know what’s needed.
We reinforce our election officials and poll workers. We respect the process. We uphold the votes and voices of the people – every eligible voter heard, every ballot counted.
If you believe that, don’t just nod along…
- Vote – and if you vote by mail, send your ballot no later than October 27 and track it at NMVote.gov. After that, deliver it by hand at a ballot box or voting center.
- If you see something concerning at or near a voting center, tell the presiding judge or contact 866-OUR-VOTE (this is a nonpartisan, multilingual hotline that you can call/text to report issues)
- Bookmark and share our Elections Defense page with friends and family
- Call your elected representatives and say “I’m worried about Trump and his enablers attempting to undermine elections, will you commit to upholding the votes and voices of the people – every eligible voter heard, every ballot counted?”
- Talk to your neighbors, friends, and the other parents at school pickup or soccer practice. Ask them “are you worried about elections being undermined?” …share your concerns and what you’ve seen/heard.
We must be realistic but we can also be hopeful – we know that for most voters efforts to overturn an election don’t sit right. It makes us even more determined to vote, not less.
Our elections aren’t defended in courtrooms alone. They’re defended at the kitchen table, the county clerk’s office, and the ballot box. In New Mexico, we elect our leaders, not the other way around.