Source NM/States Newsroom: Boosted accessibility for voters in ongoing NM local election

New Mexico doesn’t require any reason for someone to request an absentee ballot.

There are only really benefits to that, said Mason Graham, policy director for Common Cause, a nonprofit that works to uphold voter rights. He said it started up with the COVID-19 pandemic. He said absentee ballots allow for more convenience in voting and can help people do more research on candidates.

Despite baseless misinformation around mail-in voting, it’s just as secure as in-person voting. Graham said there are extensive integrity and security measures with absentee ballots.

For example, voters receive two envelopes with absentee ballots, he said. One is the actual ballot and another is a security envelope inside the ballot, Graham said, and the officials counting the votes verify that the security envelope is closed.

Fraudulent ballots also don’t come through because election officials check names, social security numbers and addresses, Graham said.

“It’s the exact same level of security that you would get if you were to go to your own voting location,” he said.

There is 24-hour monitoring on drop boxes.

“Any kind of tampering of ballot drop boxes would immediately be flagged, and election officials will be notified. So there isn’t any issue when it comes to the integrity of the ballot drop boxes,” Graham said.

He said the U.S. has historically used absentee ballots, like sending them to U.S. citizens who are overseas or those who can’t vote on the mainland because of things like military service or working internationally.

 

To read the full story, click here.