Voter Action’s inaugural project took place in New Mexico in 2005. In the 2004 election, New Mexico acquired: the highest undervote rate in the country; 10,836 “phantom votes”; and disproportionately higher undervote rates in Hispanic and/or Native American precincts*. Our research and data revealed that these problems were tied to specific voting machine types. We achieved legal success with our first lawsuit, halting the purchase of problematic electronic voting machines (DRE’s) and subsequently working with Governor Bill Richardson’s office to convert New Mexico back to an all-paper-ballot state. Election results from 2006 showed that New Mexico’s undervote rate was dramatically decreased* after transferring to all optical scan paper ballot voting system --implemented in only four months’ time . Further follow up to the election showed that county election officials, initially resistant to the change, determined that the 2006 November election was the smoothest and most trouble-free election they could recall. Our initial work in New Mexico has informed our litigation and research tactics in other states around the country. *http://www.votersunite.org/info/NM_UVbyBallotTypeandEthnicity.pdf

Recent News

Legal Action

Lopategui v. Vigil-Giron

In January 2005, a group of New Mexico voters filed a lawsuit in New Mexico state court seeking to halt the continued use of electronic voting machines in elections in the state on the grounds that it violated the plaintiffs’ fundamental right to vote. More >>