Doña Ana elections certified without protest for the first time since 2018
The Doña Ana County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to certify the 2023 elections Tuesday amid no protest or backlash.
The vote means the county affirms the elections as legitement. That allows the New Mexico Secretary of State to review and certify the results before the end of the year. The election results are unofficial until then.
While certification is a routine process, a renewed focus on the vote occurred after the January 6th Insurrection in 2021, in which a mob of people inspired by former President Donald Trump sought to prevent certification.
But in Doña Ana County, protests at certification were present as early as 2018. In 2020, two former commissioners – Isabella Solis and Ramon Gonzalez – voted against certification after residents espoused unfounded and false conspiracies about voter fraud. In subsequent elections, residents continued to call on the county not to certify, again citing false claims of election fraud.
But the 2023 certification held a different tone. No commenters lamented the process. No protestors appeared to espouse baseless claims. And the election was certified without issue.
The 2023 elections see one notable issue
Amanda López Askin, the county clerk since 2018, said some procedural problems created headaches for at least one voter in the county's southern reaches.
López Askin said 15 ballots for residents near Anthony, New Mexico, had incorrect ballot information. She noted that redistricting changed what elections the 15 residents were eligible for, something their ballots incorrectly reflected. López Askin said one voter realized the error and reported it to the clerk's office. The issue was fixed before the other 14 residents voted, López Askin said.
But, overall, she said the process was smooth. López Askin attributed the smoothness of the election process to an increased number of election workers, something the Board of Commissioners approved last year.
Turnout and other election statistics
The 2023 municipal elections saw 22,389 residents vote, for a turnout rate of about 18 percent.
"Frankly, 18 percent is not something to cheer about," López Askin said. “Although it was a higher number than the last election and in 2019.”
López Askin compared Doña Ana's turnout with Santa Fe County, which reported 32,436 voters at about 30 percent. According to the Secretary of State, the average was about 20 percent.
López Askin also highlighted 508 people who registered to vote on the same day they voted. She said 170 people same-day registered before election day during early voting, while 338 people same-day registered on election day.
López Askin said that many of those people experienced a high wait time. On Election Day, the Sun-News reported that the process took 15 minutes to an hour.
“It’s kind of like the toll you have to pay if you’re going to wait to update those things,” López Askin said.
López Askin also pointed out two school board races that might head to a recount.
In Las Cruces, the race between challenger and apparent winner Edward Frank and incumbent Carol Cooper was separated by 11 votes. In Hatch, a six-way race for two at-large seats saw two candidates within six votes of each other.
The Secretary of State determines when recounts are necessary, typically if the vote is less than 1 percent difference or if the candidates request one and reimburse county clerk's offices for the cost. The recounts will occur on Dec. 1.
Justin Garcia is a news reporter for the Las Cruces Sun-News. He covers the courts and local government. He can be reached via email at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com or via text message at 575-541-5449
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Doña Ana elections certified without protest, first time since 2018
