Precincts running out of ballots in several voting locations. News article follows:

Incumbent Republican Congresswoman Heather Wilson is calling for federal monitors from a US House committee to keep tabs on voting in New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District.

Wilson made that announcement after a heavily Republican Northeast Heights precinct with roughly 2,500 registered voters ran out of ballots within two hours of the polls opening.

Precinct 603 was supposed to receive 1,500 ballots but only had 150 on hand when voting began at 7:00 am. When ballots ran out at about 9:00 am, voters were asked to leave their names and numbers and told they would be called when new ballots arrived.

“Now they are turning away voters at the polls and denying them the right to vote,” said Wilson at a morning news conference. “These voters were not offered provisional ballots as is required by federal law. That is a violation of the federal voting rights act.”

Mike McFadden, one of those called back to vote when new ballots arrived, questioned whether there were political motives behind the ballot shortage.

“I’m just wondering if it has something to do with the election itself,” said McFadden. “[Precinct] 603 is primarily a Republican precinct.”

County Clerk Mary Herrera, a Democrat, blamed the Secretary of State’s office for the shortage of ballots saying they adjusted the number based upon early voting and absentee ballot numbers.

The Secretary of State’s office fired back blaming the county clerk for not providing enough inventory.


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