Parties making it harder to get on the ballot

House approves election law revisions

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
March 9, 2007

SANTA FE (AP) - The House unanimously approved a measure Friday that could limit the ability of some candidates to get on a primary election ballot.

The proposal makes a number of election law changes, including revising the preprimary nominating convention procedure that Democrats and Republicans use.

Candidates who receive a certain level of support at the conventions earn a place on the primary ballot.

Under current law, however, those who fall below that threshold still can get on the ballot by submitting additional nominating petitions to the secretary of state. The legislation would eliminate that option.

The House also unanimously approved another elections bill, which among its provisions would:

Move up the general election filing date for minor party candidates from the second Tuesday in July to the third Tuesday in June after a primary election.

llow the state canvassing board to require candidates to pay the estimated cost of a recount upfront as a deposit. The secretary of state's office would determine the cost estimates in March during an election year.

The recount proposal is to address a state Supreme Court ruling last year in favor of Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb and Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik, who had challenged the state's handling of their request for a recount in the razor-close 2004 presidential election in New Mexico.

Under a provision of the law in place in 2004 _ and still in effect under the court's ruling _ a candidate seeking a recount had to pay a deposit of $50 for each precinct for which a recount is demanded and a deposit of $10 for each voting machine for which a recheck is sought. There were nearly 1,500 precincts statewide.

The court ruled the state canvassing board was wrong in 2004 when it conditioned a recount on Cobb and Badnarik paying the estimated full cost of rechecking votes. The court also invalidated a 2005 law that permitted the canvassing board to require candidates to pay the estimated cost of a recount. The justices said there were no standards in the 2005 law to guide the board in deciding the amount of the deposit.

The elections bills go to the Senate for consideration.

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The bill with the preprimary convention change is HB1156 and the recount deposit change is in HB1155.

Comments

[Ray Armijo]

Hey Mr. Elliott... don't forget that SB 671 is on the House floor today. Passage of this bill would clarify the current election code and protect the civil liberties of future candidates from the partisan politics that removed Jeff Armijo - the Primary Election Winner for State Auditor. This bill has already passed the Senate and all the necessary committee assignments.