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Monday, July 21, 2008

Election Groups Want Probe of Missing Ballots

By Barry Massey
Associated Press
       SANTA FE — Attorney General Gary King's office is investigating what happened to 182 ballots that are missing from the June primary election.
    Phil Sisneros, a spokesman for the attorney general, said Monday there was an investigation but he could not provide any details. Previously, the attorney general's office would only say the matter was under review.
    Two election reform groups — Verified Voting New Mexico and United Voters of New Mexico — called Monday for a thorough investigation into the missing ballots. They said that was necessary to maintain voter confidence in the fairness of elections, particularly with the state preparing for a general election in November in which New Mexico is likely to be critical in the outcome of the presidential race.
    The paper ballots are missing from two precincts in Cibola County and local elections officials have no explanation for what happened.
    The ballots were counted by a voting machine tabulator on Election Day and there's an electronic record of the votes because of the tabulator's memory card, which was used in a recount in a state Senate race.
    "We want the appropriate county and state authorities to take full formal action on this under the law," Robert Stearns, steering committee member of Verified Voting New Mexico, said in a statement. "The election officials in the two precincts told the county clerk that they don't remember what happened to the missing ballot boxes and ballots. The inquiry should not be left there. This involves New Mexico voters and the integrity of their vote — the very foundation of American democracy."
    After polls close on Election Day, ballots are to be transferred from a tabulator's storage bin to a separate ballot box, which is to be locked and delivered to the county clerk. The ballots from two precincts in Grants were discovered missing several days after the June 3 primary election by the clerk's staff. Ballot boxes were empty and unlocked. Presiding judges at the two precincts don't recall what happened to the ballots, County Clerk Eileen Martinez has said.
    There was a recount in the Democratic primary race in Senate District 30, which covers parts of Cibola, Valencia and Socorro counties, because of a new state law requiring automatic recounts when the margin between the top two candidates is less than one-half of 1 percent.
    Sen. David Ulibarri of Grants won the three-way Democratic contest by five votes, according to official returns from the recount.
    Paul Stokes, coordinator of United Voters of New Mexico, said the attorney general's office should take all necessary steps to ensure the Senate race was correctly decided.

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