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Eugene

(61,593 posts)
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 09:25 AM Oct 2020

New Mexico high court rejects GOP suit on absentee ballots

Source: Associated Press

New Mexico high court rejects GOP suit on absentee ballots

By MORGAN LEE
October 28, 2020

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit Tuesday by the state Republican Party alleging that partisan poll challengers are being unfairly denied oversight of the initial absentee ballot verification process.

Three justices including the court’s lone Republican, Judith Nakamura, denied the petition to intervene in the absentee voting process. Two Democratic justices recused themselves as they run for election against Republican challengers.

The lawsuit from Republicans including several state legislators and count clerks alleged that partisan challengers are being shut out of the initial verification process unnecessarily, based on privacy regulations.

Under pandemic-related voting procedures in New Mexico, absentee voters must sign and place the last four digits of their Social Security number on the outer envelope — concealed by a so-called privacy flap. For rejected ballots, clerks must send a notification to voters within one day.

The court’s decision was applauded by the office of Democratic Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-lawsuits-elections-courts-voting-2020-9a5147b22da8bc39d57b5f3df37687be

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