NAME: Maggie Toulouse Oliver
POLITICAL PARTY: Democratic
OCCUPATION: New Mexico Secretary of State
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Santa Fe
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: Almost 6 years as New Mexico secretary of state; 10 years as Bernalillo County clerk; president, National Association of Secretaries of State; president-elect, National Association of Secretaries of State; treasurer, National Association of Secretaries of State; 2x Elections Committee co-chair, and 2x Cybersecurity Committee co-chair National Association of Secretaries of State …
EDUCATION: B.A. in political science and Spanish; and M.A. in political science from the University of New Mexico; Ph.D. candidate in political science, University of New Mexico
CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: maggietoulouseoliver.com
1. What would be your top priorities as secretary of state?
1. Continuing to make voting more accessible. 2. Continuing to shine a light on dark money and make New Mexico’s campaign finance system more transparent. 3. Combating election disinformation and helping voters find accurate information. 4. Continuing to make the business services division more accessible and business-friendly.
2. Do you support or oppose using ranked-choice voting in statewide elections?
I support increasing the prevalence of ranked choice voting at the local level before we completely transition to statewide elections. Passing a constitutional amendment to allow runoff voting at the state level would potentially pave the way for such a change, without mandating it.
3. Given the recent increase of absentee voting, do you support or oppose requiring New Mexico counties to provide ballot boxes for voters?
I have implemented the statutory requirement for secured, monitored containers for use by voters in every county as one option for returning their absentee ballots. They’re safe, efficient and increase voter accessibility. New Mexico has some of the highest security standards in the nation for their use.
4. New Mexico is currently not one of the 35 states that require voters to show some form of identification at the polls. Would you support or oppose imposing a voter ID requirement?
I support policies that ensure the integrity of our elections. New Mexico requires voters to provide personal identifier information when voting in person, with increased ID requirements for absentee voting. Photo voter ID laws, however, can make it harder for some communities to vote. I do not support this policy.
5. Do you support or oppose opening the state’s primary elections to voters who aren’t affiliated with either major political party and not requiring them to change their political affiliation in order to vote?
Yes, I support it.
6. Do you believe former President Donald Trump’s claim that he was the legitimate winner of the 2020 presidential election? (Yes or No answer only, please)
No.
7. Do you believe New Mexico’s campaign finance laws and rules should be revised? If so, what changes would you propose?
Although we have made significant improvements to New Mexico’s campaign finance statutes, written long-overdue rules, created a campaign finance guide, and closed the dark money reporting loophole during my administration, there is always room for improvement. Further closing of reporting loopholes, improvements in enforcement, and expanding public financing are future priorities.
Personal background
1. Have you or your business, if you are a business owner, ever been the subject of any state or federal tax liens?
No.
2. Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding?
No.
3. Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of drunken driving, any misdemeanor or any felony in New Mexico or any other state? If so, explain.
No.
