OPINION: Absentee ballots are democracy in action

When I first stepped into the role of Doña Ana County Clerk, I knew elections were important. What I didn’t know was how much I’d come to see them as one of the cornerstones of our right to vote — fragile enough to need constant protection, yet strong enough to withstand attacks from even the loudest of election deniers.

I’ve spent the last seven years on the front lines of running elections in southern New Mexico, and absentee ballots have been one of the most powerful tools to make voting accessible, secure and fair. They’ve given a voice to people who otherwise couldn’t show up on Election Day — seniors who are homebound, voters with disabilities, workers with unpredictable schedules, those traveling for work and our military members stationed overseas. Our service members have trusted absentee voting for decades, long before it became part of any political discussion.

Here’s the thing most people don’t realize: Voting by mail is not some loose, unmonitored process. It has layer upon layer of accountability. To get an absentee ballot, a voter has to apply and provide identifying information. Signatures are checked. Ballots are tracked every step of the way — requested, mailed, received, verified and counted. In my office, we treat every one of those steps with care, because each ballot represents someone’s voice.

The numbers back this up. National studies show that fraud in absentee or mail-in voting is almost nonexistent — so rare it makes headlines precisely because it’s so unusual. A Brennan Center review found that the rate of fraud is between 0.0003% and 0.0025%. You’re more likely to be struck by lightning than to commit voter fraud through an absentee ballot.

And let’s not forget: In 2020, roughly half of voters across the country cast their ballots through the mail or by absentee ballot. That election had one of the highest turnouts in modern history, and mail voting played a huge role in making it possible during a global pandemic. Rather than undermining our democracy, absentee ballots expanded it — helping more Americans have a say in their communities and their country.

I’ve faced my share of election deniers who would rather spread fear than facts. They claim that absentee voting is insecure, but I’ve seen firsthand how careful and transparent the process really is. I’ve certified machines, walked through audits and answered tough questions in public meetings. And every single time, the evidence is clear: Absentee voting works, and it works securely.

Every eligible voter should be proud that in America we’ve built a system that includes absentee ballots as an option. It means our democracy is flexible enough to meet people where they are, whether at home, overseas or just too busy on Election Day. To me, that’s not a weakness — it’s a strength.

Because at the end of the day, elections aren’t about the deniers, the noise or the conspiracy theories. They’re about people. They’re about the grandmother who votes from her kitchen table, the young soldier casting a ballot from halfway across the world, and the parent working two jobs who finally has the time to sit down at night and mark their choices. Those votes matter every bit as much as the ones cast in person at the polls.

President Donald Trump’s threats to end mail-in voting are threats to our democracy. Absentee ballots are democracy in action. And as someone who has spent years making sure every ballot is safe, secure and counted, I’ll continue to stand up for them — because every New Mexican deserves to have their voice heard.