Associated Press: Voting Voting rights groups organize hotline to report interference

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Voting rights organizations in New Mexico have announced a nonpartisan voter protection program intended to make it easier for people to report election interference and seek out consultation on other problems at the polls or with absentee ballots.

On Thursday, Common Cause New Mexico and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico said they are establishing a hotline in English and Spanish that will be staffed by attorneys, law students and those with a legal background who are familiar with the New Mexico Election Code, and will provide voters with live assistance if they encounter any irregularities. …

Republican plans to send out some 50,000 poll watchers in battleground states are already clashing with detailed local regulations about who can stand at the polls to monitor and challenge balloting.

“This year presents unprecedented challenges for voters who want to exercise their right to vote and protect their health at the same time,” said Heather Ferguson, executive director of Common Cause New Mexico, in a statement. “New Mexicans should feel secure that they can cast their ballot in a number of different ways, and that it will be counted as cast and anyone who interferes or tampers with elections will be held accountable.”

Common Cause New Mexico has been running an election protection program since 2008 with no party or campaign affiliation.