N.M. voters rolls purged 85,000 people

[left-of-center2012]

The Albuquerque TV news reported tonight that the voters rolls in New Mexico have been purged by 85,000 voters.
We have a GOP Mayor and GOP Governor.
We have a general election (including for Mayor, City Council, etc) in one month.

Some here may recall that I posted recently that when I phoned to get an application for an absentee ballot, I was told I am not on their voting registry, and was asked if I had ever voted in New Mexico, etc.

They suggested I come in and register.

I have voted by absentee ballot in every election here (including school board, etc) since moving to N.M. 12 years ago.
Some of you suggested I phone my elected officials.

I called my two U.S. Senators (both Democrats) and spoke with someone in their offices.
No one got back to me from the Senators, but one week after calling my Senators an application for an absentee ballot arrived in my mail box, and yesterday the absentee ballot arrived.

The City Clerk’s office miraculously found my voting info.

I wonder how many people who disappeared from the voting rolls just didn’t do anything and will not be voting?

85,000 purged voters may not be as much as some states, but N.M. is sparsely populated.

[burrowowl]

1. Very interesting!

Keep us updated!

[Hoyt]

2. I once got purged from a county I had move from 12 years before.

I bet a lot purged were GOPers. Some things really aren't a conspiracy.

[kcr]

9. Righto! That explains why the people who didn't move got purged

Good thinkin'!

[Hoyt]

10. You also get purged if you don't vote for a bunch of years, which is

why I got purged there. I was voting elsewhere.

Usually, they send you a couple of notices too. And, it's not hard to check your status nowadays. That's what our local Democratic organization are supposed to be doing by helping get out the vote. We failed last election when 40% sat on their rears.

[diva77]

3. NM SOS should be taken to task for the massive purge

on edit: looks like the purge happened under the watch of the former SOS -- repug James Winter

NM elected a new SOS in 2016 - dem Maggie Oliver - time to put the pressure on!

[L. Coyote]

4. NM has a history of disenfranchising voters. We did a film about it:

[KY_EnviroGuy]

5. Question:

Are these purged voters notified in any way that they are no longer registered?

At least in this case, anyone that finds out has a month to fix it. Republicans are notorious for executing purges at the last minute before elections.

[left-of-center2012]

7. "Are these purged voters notified ..."

I didn't find out until I called for an absentee ballot.
Had I waited and gone to vote on election day,
I wouldn't have been able to vote.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

8. So...

you're suggesting they don't have a legal obligation to send notice to those being purged? Seems downright immoral, if not illegal to me. Also, do you happen to know the justifications for purging most of these voters?

The very thought that they are willing to blindly disenfranchise a lot of these folks just to rid them of a few bad apples seems horribly wrong.

I'm bugging you partly because it could happen in my state, too!

[haveahart]

6. I sure hope that our Congressmen and women and Senators are aware of this stuff and have a plan to

deal with it.

[Wounded Bear]

11. Wow, that's about the margin of victory that got Trump selected...

nationally.

The RWers are working the system full force.

I'm glad you got your ballot. We vote by mail here in WA. I love it.

[alittlelark]

12. Guess I better check my status.......

There is an important sick leave ordinance on this ballot - 'The Healthy Workforce ABQ' Ordinance.

[left-of-center2012]

13. Well now ...

Business leaders and Republicans say employees don't need sick leave.
It is (they say) a job killer.

But I voted for it,
being the left wing Democrat that I am.

[peacebuzzard]

14. I am a NM voter

Thanks for posting. I spend most of my time traveling and I did not hear this before.
I will check my status and call the senators office