Ahead of Election Day, two New Mexico organizations have announced plans to monitor statewide polling sites for irregularities, as well as a multi-lingual hotline for voters to call if they encounter issues casting ballots.
Common Cause New Mexico and Observe New Mexico Elections, two nonpartisan organizations, said they have been keeping tabs on polling sites since early voting began Oct. 28, and they’ll keep watch through Election Day on Tuesday.
Common Cause New Mexico Executive Director Molly Swank told Source New Mexico on Monday that the off-year election, with a smaller expected turnout, means the group didn’t have capacity to enlist volunteers to observe polling sites in-person. But volunteers will be monitoring its new phone line for calls from voters, she said.
“It’s staffed by volunteer lawyers and election specialists, and they can answer common questions like, ‘What do I need to register?’ or things like that,” she said. “And they can also escalate any issues that folks report from polling locations” to local county clerks’ offices or the Secretary of State.
So far, Swank told Source, the hotline has not received any calls. But she expects some tomorrow from among thousands of voters who wait until Election Day to cast ballots.
Voters are electing mayors, city councilors, school board members and other officials, as well as weighing in on ballot measures, in local races across the state. A little more than 162,000 early and absentee voters have cast their ballots so far, according to the latest figures from the Secretary of State’s Office.
Leaders of Observe New Mexico Elections also announced Monday that they’d monitored early voting at 39 polling sites in 11 counties and that they’d do so again Tuesday. A news release from the group did not detail any issues volunteers observed, though the organization will issue a report after the election “highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement in election processes, and supporting ongoing dialogue about election integrity and best practices,” according to a news release.
The group issued a similar report in May about the 2024 general election, which reported a generally well-run election but also highlighted challenges the state’s system faced with an overwhelming number of same-day registrations on Election Day.
Swank said Common Cause is already gearing up for the 2026 primary and general elections, in which the balance of power in Congress could be decided.
“We imagine that it will be a much more contentious election next year,” she said. “So we’re already starting to talk to volunteers about the program, and we’ll start training early in spring for that.”
Common Cause voter protection hotline
Voters who encounter issues can call or text this number:
- English: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
- Spanish: 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682)
- Asian Languages: 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683)
