A look at the issues with county clerk candidates

The Curry County clerk’s race features three candidates in the Republican primary, between incumbent Rosalie Riley and challengers Nikki McDermid and Jo Lynn Queener. There is no Democratic opposition in the November general election.

The primary election is June 7.

Early voting runs through June 4.

Nikki (Williams) McDermid

Age: 43

Occupation: Title V grant campus coordinator at Clovis Community College

Elected offices held: None

Why do you want to run? I want to run for Curry County clerk because I want to be involved. I believe that people as a whole have become complacent, or think that voting does not affect them. I want to communicate to the citizens of Curry County how important their opinion and their vote actually are. I also want the citizens of Curry County to know that I will safeguard, secure, and maintain their records properly and efficiently.

What ideas do you have to make the county clerk’s office as efficient as possible? I think that communication and organization are the keys to efficiency. I feel that my communication and organization skills would be an asset to the county clerk’s office. I would work to instill open communication within the office and would be open to feedback from those within the office and those working with the office personnel.

The county clerk operates elections for the county. What do you see as the biggest challenge of making sure the county gets things right that day? Again, communication and organization. If things are in order before the election, and the staff maintains clear and open communication throughout the event, then the election should go smoothly. I would also like to make sure that all office personnel are continually trained and prepared for new laws pertaining to elections, and that that information is relayed on to the public. If the county office personnel are well prepared and knowledgeable, then there should be policies in place in the event of any unforeseen circumstance.

When the state allowed same-sex couples to receive marriage licenses, there was some confusion among county clerks across the state as to how to handle the procedure. What could the state, and possibly county clerks, have done better to make the process easier for the taxpayers? I cannot speak as to what should have been done in the past, but once again I believe that communication would help to alleviate any misunderstandings or questions on new laws or procedures to implement them.

Have you ever been charged with a crime beyond a misdemeanor traffic citation? No, I have not.

What do you see as the biggest challenge over the next four years, should you be elected? Given today’s charged political climate and controversial issues, I feel that making certain that Curry County elections run smoothly and making sure that every citizen knows that their vote will be counted and recorded correctly is of utmost importance. I promise the citizens of Curry County that I will be diligent and honest in maintaining the integrity of their records, and that I will uphold the laws that govern the county clerk’s office. I believe that with proper training, organization and good communication the county clerk’s office personnel and I would be able to overcome any challenge that might arise.

Rosalie L. Riley

Age: 64

Occupation: Curry County clerk, previously owned a floral business

Elected offices held: Current office

Why do you want to run? I am running for re-election of my current position as county clerk. I believe our community is only as good as the involvement we have in it. I volunteered for many years in the community, on different committees, and I felt I could be a motivator to help make our community a better place to live and to encourage our children to remain here by providing economic development and security.

What ideas do you have to make the clerk’s office as efficient as possible? I am a strong believer in keeping up with technology and working smarter not harder. I am in the process of trying to update our software system. The newer system is user friendly and speeds up the process of searching for documents and linking documents together. It also provides online customer access. I am also implementing cross training within my staff.

What do you see as the greatest challenge in making sure things go smoothly on election day? Elections can be stressful because you are dealing with massive groups of people. My election staff has been preparing for months for the upcoming elections. We have attended Election School provided through the Secretary of State’s office, we have been developing checklists, training poll workers, examining prior elections to try to trouble shoot and eliminate any issues in the past and are trying to foresee and eliminate any problems that may arise during these elections. The machines we use are accurate and are one of the best in the industry; however, when dealing with people, Murphy’s Law will always come into play. I believe our election system is still the best system in the world and with the procedures that are in place (final canvass, election judges, checks and balances with the Secretary of State’s office) the integrity of the election process is not compromised. My staff is honest, dependable and hardworking and we all strive to do the very best job for our community.

When the state allowed same-sex couples to receive marriage licenses, there was some confusion among county clerks across the state as to how to handle the procedure. What could the state, and possibly county clerks, have done better to make the process easier for the taxpayers? State law did not outline the definition of a marriage; the majority of the people’s understanding of the existing statute was of a traditional marriage, meaning one man and one woman. So the clerk’s offices were following the states’ interpretation of the law and would not issue licenses for same-sex couples. Lawsuits were filed. The New Mexico Clerk’s Association sent a petition to the New Mexico Supreme Court for their decision. In December 2013, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage licenses would be issued by the county clerks of New Mexico. The only thing that would have made this process easier was the legislators specifically defining the definition and understanding of a marriage.

Have you ever been charged with a crime beyond a misdemeanor traffic citation? No, I have not.

What do you see as the biggest challenge in the next four years? Voter education and voter turnout. Historically voter turnout has been low and I believe that voter education is necessary. My office has worked diligently on improving voter education awareness. In the past year, my staff and I have attended over 19 different events such as: hosting a voting booth at the county fair where over 700 children were taught how easy it was to vote, spoke at numerous civic organization meetings, attended a mock election at the high school and held third-party training sessions. I created a voter registration video advertisement that plays at all the local movie theaters. I am currently working with Eastern New Mexico University public television to create a campaign, in English and Spanish, which will show how each vote benefits your community. I have been working closely with the New Mexico Clerk’s Association to promote and market voter education. My office has also made arrangements with the Clovis Area Transit System bus system to provide free transportation to and from the polls for the primary and general election.

Jo Lynn Queener

Age: 47

Occupation: County services specialist with the Curry County Assessor’s Office

Elected offices held: None

Why do you want to run? I have been contemplating running for county clerk since the idea was brought up over lunch with friends. There is a need to have a county clerk that understands that the general public needs to have a clerk that is friendly and helpful to everyone including other offices and departments within the county government as well as the state government. As the municipal clerk for the village of Grady, I knew the duties of a county clerk were similar to the duties I had, just on a bigger scale. Now, with my youngest child off to college, the nest will be empty. I not only have the time to devote, but the passion to give and the knowledge to manage the clerk’s office.

What ideas do you have to make the county clerk’s office as efficient as possible? Since I work in the Curry County Assessor’s Office now, I have had an opportunity to be in the courthouse everyday and I have noticed a need for a more team-like environment between the clerk and other county offices and officials. My plan is to have a more efficient office, including a program to cross train all of the staff on all duties within the clerk’s office. Through education and cross training, the office will be better equipped to assist the general public. Additionally, there is a need for upgraded software, in order to open up the communication lines between the clerk’s office, treasurer’s office and the assessor’s office. Finally, I would open communications with other county clerks for networking. I am sure that once I am elected, I will be able to work with the staff to find other innovative ideas to increase efficiency.

The county clerk operates elections for the county. What do you see as the biggest challenge of making sure the county gets things right that day? I see the biggest challenge regarding elections is not to wait until that day but to prepare using organization, communication, and execution of the plan. Starting months before elections, create and manage an election calendar and publish them to the website for public knowledge. I would have open communication with school officials, municipal officials, and the public for upcoming events, deadlines, cost to run an election, etc. so there are no surprises. On the day of elections all that will be left to do is execute the plan.

When the state allowed same-sex couples to receive marriage licenses, there was some confusion among county clerks across the state as to how to handle the procedure. What could the state, and possibly county clerks, have done better to make the process easier for the taxpayers? If my memory serves me right, there was confusion on the marriage license forms and on filling them out properly. This is why we need a clerk that will strive to maintain an open line of communication with other county clerks as well as the state government so that new changes in state policy and law can be integrated more easily into the local office policies and procedures.

Have you ever been charged with a crime beyond a misdemeanor traffic citation? No.

What do you see as the biggest challenge over the next four years, should you be elected? As county clerk, I know that there will be challenges. My experience as a municipal clerk, managing my husband’s law firm and working in the assessor’s office is slightly different from a county clerk but the management experience I have will certainly help me to bring back the positive reputation of the clerk’s office with both the public at large and folks in the courthouse. Running for a public office is a challenge in itself, and yet here I am ready, willing and able to do the job of my community.

— Compiled by Managing Editor Kevin Wilson