Las Cruces Community Radio 101.5 FM
  • Home
  • Donate
  • Listen
    • Archives
  • Schedule
    • Programs
  • Underwrite
  • Merch
  • About Us
  • Events
  • Contact Us

Walt Rubel Commentary: NM elections No. 1 in MIT ranking

10/8/2024

 
Of all the reforms passed during the administration of former Gov. Bill Richardson, and it was a busy eight years, perhaps none has had the same lasting positive impact as the election reform bill of 2005.
Before then, the state had no uniform system from county to county, and relied heavily on electronic voting machines with no paper trail. We were consistently ranked at the bottom of national reports on election security and convenience.

The 2005 law required all counties to use paper ballots that are scanned by a counting machine, and then saved for review later if needed. And it brought uniformity to the system.

With that and other changes, our elections are now the best administered in the nation, according to a recent report by MIT. The Election Performance Index looked at the 2022 election through 18 different metrics measuring access and security that are then averaged to give each state an EPI score. The lowest score was Mississippi, at 56 percent. Nothing new there. What is new is that New Mexico is not scraping with them to avoid the worst-place ranking. Instead, we ranked first in the nation at 88 percent.

Our voter turnout and voter registration rates are still slightly below the national average, but both are on the rise. One of the most notable findings was that the wait time for voters in New Mexico is, on average, less than four minutes.

We also scored well for access to voter information, resolving problems with absentee ballots and a rejection rate for registrations of less than 1 percent. The national average is more than 6 percent.

Only 0.1 percent of our mail-in ballots were rejected, and none of those were military or overseas ballots. And, we had a much smaller percentage of provisional ballots cast and rejected than other states. Those are ballots cast by voters when there is a dispute about their eligibility at the polling place. 

I suppose critics can look at the small number of ballots rejected and argue that indicates a lack of security. But there is nothing in the rankings to back up that claim.

In 2023, the Legislature passed a bill that automatically registers voters at the MVD; restores the voting rights of former convicts; creates a voluntary permanent absentee voter list; requires both same-day registration at polling places and at least two secured ballot drop boxes per county; and enacts the nation’s first Native American Voting Rights Act.

All of these changes will undoubtedly increase the number of eligible voters who participate in the election.

Voting has never been easier. Early voting started Tuesday at the County Government Building. If 2022 is any indication, there may be lines for the first few days, but they move quickly. Expanded early voting begins at sites throughout the county on Oct. 19.

I will have already voted by the time this is published, and will spend the rest of the election season as an interested spectator.

It is a fallacy to suggest we have to choose between security and convenience. With an adherence to uniform policies and procedures, we can and do have both. This national ranking is an affirmation of both our election laws and the men and women who faithfully execute them. It should give voters increased confidence when they go to the polls in the coming days.


Walter Rubel can be reached at [email protected].
Listen to the audio version

Comments are closed.

    Shows

    All
    All About Books
    Cafe Con Leche
    Commentaries
    Coronavirus Update
    Delving In
    Earth Matters
    Eye On Government
    Just Community
    Live From The Market
    Live True
    Local Vibes Live
    Mesilla Valley Sports Show
    Speak Up Las Cruces
    Special Broadcasts
    Take On Faith
    The Sunday Show
    Think Again
    This Week In Las Cruces

    Music Shows

    You can find a two-week archive of all of our music shows and nearly every other one of our shows by going to our Schedule page.

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    May 2018

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly