Big Rally at SF Roundhouse Saturday for Election Reform

To generate renewed support for Voter Verifiable Paper Ballots and Automatic Audits of election results, there will be a Rally from Noon to 2:00 PM at the East entrance to the Roundhouse in Santa Fe on Saturday, March 5. The goal is to attract at least 300 people so we can keep our election reform requirements in the spotlight as bills are negotiated.

It's hoped that the Saturday date will permit those who work during the week to participate and express their views along with those who have had the time and energy to attend weekday events. The media and selected legislators and bill analysts have been invited.

There are many election reform bills percolating on both the House and Senate sides as we move into the last stages of the 60-day Legislative Session in Santa Fe. At the moment, passionate, behind the scenes negotiations are taking place, with constant give and take and day-to-day changes shaping the final bills.

As Terry Riley of NN Democratic Friends says, "We do not have a crystal ball, so we cannot know that our bill, the McSorley Bill (SB1065), is the best.  We have reviewed almost every bill out there and we believe that the McSorley Bill has the greatest chance of improving our election system the most.  We believe that the McSorley Bill will make election fraud unbelievably difficult to try much less succeed and so we want to continue supporting the McSorley Bill."

The Senate Rules Committee has bypassed McSorley's bill and is currently involved in finalizing its own version of election reform, working with Governor Richardson's office and his recommendations on this issue. While this version of the bill may provide many of the requirements we support, in its current form it's not as clear and comprehensive as the McSorley bill. United New Mexico Voters and others are working to substitute language from the McSorley bill into this one and/or to get SB1065 passed on its own.

One factor that's affecting the process is the cost of the changes in terms of voting machine purchases and other expenses. But we believe you get what you pay for. We want an election process that is trustworthy and transparent.

Please stand up with your fellow progressives on March 5th and ask the New Mexico Legislature to provide us with an election reform bill that is strong and effective. You are urged to bring signs and your friends. You can download some protest signs created by Terry Riley here and here.

Click to get some idea of how many election reform bills are floating around at the Legislature this year. Scrolls down the document to the topic "Elections."