GOP District 2 Otero County Commission seat recount to take place Monday
The Republican Primary for the District 2 Otero County Commission seat was declared too close to call during the New Mexico Primary on June 7 which means a recount will be under way on July 11 at Sgt. Willie Estrada Memorial Civic Center beginning at 10 a.m.
The recount will determine which candidate was the winner of the Republican nomination who will go against Democrat Stephanie DuBoise in the General Election on Nov. 8.
The recount is open to the public. There will be an area set aside for public observation and is expected to take at least a day.
The two Republican candidates were former Republican Party of Otero County head and owner-operator at North 54 Salvage Amy Barela and Alamogordo Center of Commerce Executive Director G.B. Oliver.
Both Barela and Oliver received about 50% of the vote: Barela received 801 to Oliver's 786 votes.
The winner of the election in November will replace sitting District 2 County Commissioner Cuoy Griffin, who opted not to seek reelection this year.
County was hesitant to certify election results
The Otero County Commission recently came under scrutiny for its initial refusal to certify the 2022 New Mexico Primary Election canvass.
According to State Statute, if a county canvassing board, in this case the all-Republican Otero County Commission, refuses to certify an election, any voter can file for a writ of mandamus to force the Commission to do its job and approve the canvass.
The Otero County Commission approved the canvass on a two-to-one margin with Griffin as the sole vote against.
The Commission initially declined to certify the 2022 New Mexico Primary in Otero County due to misgivings about election integrity that came during an audit of election equipment and processes. The audit was initially contracted to EchoMail with assistance from New Mexico Audit Force.
However, during a U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee investigation, EchoMail denied any partnership with New Mexico Audit Force.
New Mexico Audit Force was named in the EchoMail contract's cover letter wherein it stated that part of the work on the audit would include a "door-to-door canvass of Otero County voter registration database to determine accuracy of voter registration database. Canvass will be staffed by volunteers under the direction of New Mexico Audit Force (“Volunteers”) with guidance from EchoMail."
New Mexico Audit Force is run by former New Mexico State University professor David Clements and his wife Erin Clements.
However, in a March 18 letter to the House Oversight Committee, EchoMail head Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai denied the existence of canvassers working for or with EchoMail in Otero County or anywhere in the U.S.
"Neither has Otero County contracted EchoMail to do door-to-door canvassing nor has EchoMail contracted any other party to do any door-to-door canvassing in Otero County," Ayyadurai states in the March 18 letter.
EchoMail and Otero County settled their contract in May with EchoMail finding no fraud in Otero County.
The $49,750 contract to EchoMail to perform the 2020 Otero County Election Audit was unanimously approved at the Jan. 13 Otero County Commission meeting.
Griffin convicted after Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot
Griffin was recently sentenced for a criminal charge related to his activity at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. He was sentenced on June 17 to 14 days in jail and a fine of $3,000. Judge Trevor McFadden credited Griffin with time served.
Griffin has appealed the ruling and has a few other cases in New Mexico District Court, U.S. District Court and a case in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Griffin was arrested on Jan. 18, 2021 after being charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building relating to his participation in the Capitol riot.
For more information about the recount or any election issue call the Otero County Clerk's Office at 575-437-4942.
Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on Twitter at @nicmaxreporter. If you have questions about your subscription, please contact Customer Service at AlamogordoDailyNews@Gannett.com or call 1-877-301-0013.
This article originally appeared on Alamogordo Daily News: District 2 Otero County Commission seat recount to take place Monday
