Voter fraud arrest reported in Sunland Park
Polls close in municipal elections, voter fraud arrest reported in Sunland Park
Sun-News reportlcsun-news.com
Posted: 03/06/2012 07:06:07 PM MST
LAS CRUCES - Polls closed at 7 p.m. Tuesday in a Sunland Park election that has been plagued by criminal allegations of extortion and voter fraud.
Daniel Salinas, one of three candidates running for mayor, was free on bond election night, having been jailed earlier on charges of extortion and tampering with evidence. And, in the final hours of voting Tuesday, two more city officials were facing arrest.
Priscilla Morales, secretary for former Sunland Park City Councilor Dario Hernandez, and Angelica Marquez were to be charged with voter fraud. According to the District Attorney's Office, Morales, a Texas resident, allegedly registered to vote in Doņa Ana County - and voted - using Marquez's home address.
Both were expected to be held on $50,000 secured bonds.
Others arrested thus far include for City Manager Jaime Aguilera, charged with extortion and three related charges; Martah Alondra Lozano, a temporary city employee, charged with tampering with evidence and Silvia Gomez, director of the senior center, charged with false voting. Former Public Works Director Jesus Dario Hernandez is still being sought by police.
Voter turnout was light, and there hadn't been any big problems through midday, a county election official said. However, with about a half hour left before polls closed, a line of about 25 people were waiting to vote at the fire station.
"So many people voted early, we're not getting a heavy turnout today," said Doņa Ana County Clerk Lynn Ellins.
Some 500 early and absentee ballots were cast, Ellins said. About 300 voted Tuesday at the fire station, one of two polling locations.
About 5,000 voters are eligible to vote in Sunland Park, according to numbers from the clerk's office. The city's total population is about 14,000. Ellins said his office is "basically running the election."
That's after weeks of turmoil in Sunland Park leading up to today, including authorities' turning up evidence of voting fraud. They also pushed last week for it to be called off altogether - something that didn't happen.
There hasn't been much commotion today, Ellins said. That could be attributable to a heavy law enforcement presence in the city. "It's been very quiet; there's state police all over the place," he said.
There are two polling sites in Sunland Park. One is at the fire station, near city hall at 1000 McNutt Road. The other is at Riverside Elementary School, 4085 McNutt Road.
In Anthony, N.M., turnout was slow through mid-afternoon, said municipal Clerk Gloria Irigoyen. She expects that to pick up after people begin to get off of work.
"We're hoping after 5 p.m. we're going to have more people," she said.
Irigoyen said the election is going smoothly.
In that city, roughly 2,960 people can vote, according to the county clerk's office.
Some 22 percent of registered voters turned out in 2010 in Anthony - when the new municipality elected its first-ever slate of officials, according to the Anthony municipal clerk's office.
Anthony voters living in Precinct 12 cast ballots at the Anthony Water & Sanitation District, 1155 N. Fourth St. Voters who live in Precincts 11, 80 and 74 must go to Anthony Elementary School, 600 N. Fourth St.
In all, 39 early ballots were cast in Anthony, according to Irigoyen. Just six absentee ballots were issued, four of which had been returned to the clerk's office by Monday.
In addition, about 1,700 people are eligible to vote today in Mesilla. Roughly 570 are eligible to vote in Hatch, according to the county clerk's office. The polls in all four municipalities closed at 7 p.m. today.
Check back for results as they become available and look for full coverage in Wednesday's Sun-News, online and in print.
Polls close in municipal elections, voter fraud arrest reported in Sunland Park - Las Cruces Sun-News
Daniel Salinas out as Sunland Park's mayor
Posted: 3:17 p.m. Thursday, April 5, 2012
Daniel Salinas out as Sunland Park's mayor
By Samantha Manning
SUNLAND PARK, N.M.
Daniel Salinas is now Sunland Park's former mayor-elect.
Salinas had 30 days to take his oath of office as mayor before losing the title, and he wasn't able to make the deadline.
It was all because of the bond restrictions set after he was arrested on extortion charges. Prosecutors said he tried to blackmail one of his opponents with the release of a video of him with a topless dancer.
Salinas was also later arrested on bribery charges in connection with last month's election.
As part of his bond restrictions, Salinas was banned from stepping foot on city property and from being in contact with city workers, making it impossible for him to be sworn in.
Last week, a district court judge denied his defense attorney's request to change those restrictions.
On Tuesday, the state Supreme Court also denied Salinas's request to change the restrictions.
Dona Ana County Clerk Lynn Ellins told KFOX14 that in this situation, a city normally has two options.
It can either hold a special election or appoint someone to the position.
The appointment could be anyone as long as the person is a registered voter in Sunland Park. But because of the timing of June's primary, it seems the appointment is the only choice.
"You cannot hold a municipal election before so many days before the primary and after so many days, and they have to give all kinds of notice, so they're not able to hold a special election at all," Ellins said.
If the city appoints a current City Councilor as mayor, then it would also have to appoint someone else for that vacant seat.
Anyone who is appointed will stay in office for the remainder of the term.
Daniel Salinas out as Sunland Park's mayor | www.kfoxtv.com
