[LWVNM Action] LWVNM Press Release on NM Supreme Court Decision

[Richard Mason]

 have posted on FB and sent to Akkana for website.  Janet



*News Release: NM Supreme Court Rules—League of Women Voters Reaction*

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico believes that voting is a
fundamental citizen right that must be guaranteed.  Today the New Mexico
Supreme Court handed down their decision in Riddle v. Oliver. We are
disappointed that in the current public health crisis the NM Supreme Court
decided against granting the petition from the county clerks, which asked
that they be allowed to conduct the 2020 primary election as an all-mail
election supplemented by service centers offering assistance in voting to
anyone who needed it.  Instead, the court directed the county clerks, with
assistance from the Secretary of State, to mail a request for an absentee
ballot to all registered voters.

“The League of Women Voters believes the absentee ballot application
process creates an unnecessary obstacle to voting by mail, which lands hard
on disabled, elderly, rural, low literacy, and low-income voters who are
disproportionately people of color,” said NM League President Hannah
Burling.

“League members will do our best to make sure that voters will not be
denied their voting rights by educating them about the process for
submitting absentee ballot applications. The deadline for the applications
is May 28, but that is only five days before Election Day.  To avoid the
need to vote in person, it should be sent in much earlier, said Burling.

We are dedicated to ensuring that our elections remain free, fair, and
accessible.


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