Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Counties to consider straight-party voting resolutions

Both the Curry and Roosevelt county commissions are scheduled to hold special meetings today to consider resolutions opposing the inclusion of straight-party voting in the Nov. 6 election.

New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver announced Wednesday that straight party-voting would return to the state after a six-year absence, a decision that has elicited a bipartisan challenge in the New Mexico Supreme Court and inspired several other counties including Chaves, Dona Ana, Eddy, Lea and San Juan to call special meetings.

In an email to Curry County Manager Lance Pyle, County Clerk Annie Hogland said voters and poll workers would need to be educated on how to handle the new process, giving her concerns about the effect straight-party voting would have on “election administration, transparency and integrity of our election.”

Commissioner Chet Spear said Hogland’s thoughts were the deciding factor for him to oppose straight-party voting and he was concerned about voters with no knowledge of either candidate in a race voting simply by party line.

“If you vote straight-party, you’re voting for someone you have no clue who it may be or what their records are or what their policies are, and that to me is not the way you’re supposed to vote,” Spear said.

If approved, the Curry County resolution calls for Chairman Ben McDaniel to contact Attorney General Hector Balderas to ask him to intervene and encourages Hogland not to include straight-party voting on the county’s ballot in November.

Roosevelt County Commissioner Matthew Hunton called their proposed concern “a resolution to show our clerk we are against the party line voting option and we encourage her to fight it any way she can within her legal capabilities.”

Hunton, who requested the commission consider a resolution opposing straight-party voting, questioned the timing of Toulouse Oliver’s decision and said he believed it was politically motivated.

“Had she done what she said and held some meetings and did this well before an actual election, you know if she wants to do it this late in the game she really should try to push it to the next election,” Hunton said.

“I’m opposed to straight-party whether it’s planned 10 minutes, 10 days or 10 years ahead of time. I don’t think that should be an option on the ballot.”

Roosevelt’s special meeting is scheduled for noon at the Roosevelt County Courthouse and Curry’s special meeting is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. at the county administrative complex.

The Curry County Commission will also meet at 9 a.m. today. Agenda items include:

• A resolution addressing political signage at the Curry County Fairgrounds.

The resolution calls for Spectra, the managing company at the fairgrounds, to present a plan to the commission addressing political signs by March 26. Pyle said the commission could provide a recommendation to Spectra at today’s meeting.

• A resolution assigning positions at the adult detention center in the absence of Administrator Mark Gallegos for approximately 300 days due to his service in the United States Naval Reserves.

According to the resolution, starting Sept. 9 current Assistant Administrator Joe Alaniz will become the acting administrator, Lt. Jay Pavlik will assume the acting assistant administrator position and Pyle will hire a lieutenant this month.

Those appointments would remain in effect until Gallegos returns to his position.