Election Protection

Common Cause New Mexico is teaming up with the ACLU of New Mexico to run a nonpartisan voter protection program this year to assist voters who encounter problems in voting, either by mail or in person. The organizations will operate teams on the ground to field questions and staff a hotline for voters to report problems.

After the COVID-19 pandemic ripped through Indian Country in New Mexico this spring, voter turnout among Native Americans declined while the rest of the state experienced an unprecedented boost in voting during the presidential primary, according to a new report from Common Cause New Mexico.

A new report by Common Cause New Mexico outlines the damage to Native American turnout in the June 2 election. It found that turnout in Native American precincts fell by 1 percentage point in the 2020 primary election, compared with four years earlier, even as voter participation surged by 8 points throughout the state as a whole.

1% Decrease in Native Voter Turnout Found amid Historic High Statewide

Our Executive Director, Heather Ferguson, sat down with Lorene Mills to discuss the challenges COVID-19 is presenting for our democracy -- from voting by mail to the census and redistricting.

Many members of the Acoma Pueblo and other tribes across the state faced significant barriers when trying to vote during the 2020 primary.