NM Sec. of State address concerns about misinformation regarding presidential nomination process

New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver is warning people about the spread of misinformation regarding the upcoming general election.

“With President Biden’s decision to withdraw from the presidential race there has already been misinformation circulating about the nomination process in New Mexico,” Oliver said in a news release. “Let me set the record straight: The ballot deadline has not passed in New Mexico.”

She said New Mexico follows major party rules regarding the selection of presidential candidates and, as long as they meet the ballot deadline of Aug. 27, 2024, whoever is nominated for president at the Democratic National Convention will appear on the election ballot.

“I encourage voters to always seek out trusted sources of election information, like their county clerk or the Secretary of State’s office, and to verify information about voting and elections before repeating or reposting it,” Oliver said.

Other items mentioned in the news release include:

• With Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race, he will release his pledged delegates who will choose how they will allocate their votes at the convention.
• There cannot be another primary election: “State law does not provide for holding another primary election, nor would another primary election be necessary under the Democratic Party rules governing delegates,” NM Secretary of State’s Office spokesman Alex Curtas said.
• Biden’s campaign will need to file a notarized statement of withdrawal as a candidate before Aug. 27, he said.

Republican Party of New Mexico Executive Director Leticia Muñoz said the party appreciates Oliver informing voters about the process. However, “unfortunately, Democrats, and notably (U.S. Senator) Martin Heinrich, ignored the primary vote and the presidential choice of New Mexico Democrats to prioritize the interests of their big donors.

“Whoever is nominated for president at the DNC will represent party insiders, not the people,” Muñoz said.

The Associated Press reported that more than 1,000 delegates told AP that they plan to support Harris at the convention, which is more than half of the delegates needed to win the nomination vote.

“However, the process to determine Biden’s replacement will be governed by established rules and procedures of the party, in full compliance with New Mexico law,” New Mexico Democratic party spokesman Daniel Garcia said. “Over the coming days, the New Mexico delegation will meet in a process that includes every delegate’s perspective as we discuss our path forward.”