45th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2001

COMMITTING THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO THE LONG-RANGE STUDY OF ELECTION REFORM AND ENCOURAGING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO PLACE MORE EMPHASIS ON ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATION.

WHEREAS, the November 7, 2000 presidential election was one of the most unusual and controversial elections in our nation's history and, because of the narrow margin of victory, it received nationwide scrutiny for any irregularity; and

WHEREAS, the problems in the New Mexico 2000 presidential election are being resolved by the Bernalillo county elections task force and the office of the secretary of state, and otherwise this election, with the largest ever number of voters turning out, ran very successfully due to the hard work of New Mexico's thirty-three county clerks; and

WHEREAS, the problems in the Florida 2000 presidential election should serve as an example to us in New Mexico on how not to run an election. The elimination of the secretary of state as an independent chief elections officer, and the reliance on appointed elections officers in all sixty-seven counties of Florida in the end did not save costs or simplify procedures, and instead led to sixty-seven different standards for how to conduct an election and how to count the votes. The appointed election officials were, in fact, under more local political pressure than the elected county clerks they replaced. Without a centralized office to write procedures, set standards and test voting machines, elections could not be administered fairly, impartially or accurately; and

WHEREAS, the legislature is committed to the strict enforcement and extension of the federal Voting Rights Act. As the vote in Florida, Tennessee and many other states demonstrated, the intimidation and disenfranchisement of communities of color still goes on. The federal justice department must strengthen its vote enforcement division to swiftly investigate and prosecute those who act in this way. The Voting Rights Act, some provisions of which are scheduled to expire in 2007, should be extended; and

WHEREAS, the legislature pledges to all minority populations that this type of harassment or disenfranchisement will not be tolerated in this state;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that it be committed to the long-range study of election reform and encourage local governments to place more emphasis on elections administration within the great state of New Mexico; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the state chapter of the national association for the advancement of colored people, the New Mexico Hispanic roundtable, the all Indian pueblo council and the New Mexico voter services coalition as a sign of the legislature's unwavering commitment to the preservation of voting rights for minorities and to the principles of election reform.