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State election administrators have earned kudos for their continuous efforts to improve voting procedures and secure free and fair elections.

Usually at the bottom of most rankings, New Mexico officials topped all states on the prestigious Election Performance Index (EPI), a project of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Election Data and Science Lab, described as “a non-partisan, objective measure of U.S. election administration.”

 With a score of 88% in the 2022 mid-term election cycle, New Mexico jumped eight places ahead of its 2018 ranking and topped Michigan, Colorado, Vermont and Nebraska. Arkansas, Mississippi and Wyoming bottomed the list. 

The most recent EPI is based on 18 indicators, including the percentage of mail ballots that are rejected, whether the state requires risk-limiting tabulation audits, and the turnout rate.

New Mexico’s peak ranking is a clear indication how far the state has moved ahead from the days-long vote-count debacle following the Democrats’ 2008 Super Tuesday election and the indictments of two former New Mexico secretaries of state: Rebecca Vigil Giron, for alleged misuse of federal funds (charges were later dropped), and Dianna Duran, who pled guilty to embezzlement, fraud and campaign violations.  

Data from two years ago show the state had an 80.35% voter registration rate and a turnout rate of 46.54%, almost a full percentage point below the national average. Still, voters will cheer that the average reported wait in line to vote is less than four minutes. New Mexico also got high marks for its voter registration and online lookup tools.

 The peak ranking should give residents confidence headed into June’s primary and this fall’s general election, which has been described as the most consequential election of the century.

Free and fair elections, administered with fairness and confidence, are the bedrock of our democracy, and current Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse, a Democrat, at the helm of state elections since first being elected in 2016, should take a bow for her commitment to these improvements. 

“Alongside my incredible staff and the tireless work of our 33 county clerks and their staffs, I’m proud to have helped modernize New Mexico’s elections by finding a critical balance between voter access and election security,” Toulouse said in a news release.

Toulouse also gave state lawmakers credit for enacting new election laws.

The EPI compares states’ performances; it’s also a way to chart national trends that have made steady gains over the past decade. New Mexico jumped from a total score of less than 70% in 2010 to close to 90% presently.

While we recognize this gain, we suggest election administrators not rest on their laurels but continue their hard work, especially getting out the vote and boosting turnout. 

After all, free and fair elections are the means through which the will of the people is translated into governance. 

We can’t imagine an alternative where governance isn’t derived from the people’s consent but from the whims of self-proclaimed autocrats or the selfish interests of a few. Such a society would be bereft of the freedoms and protections we often take for granted.

Elections empower citizens to shape our collective future. Each vote cast is more profound than just choosing a candidate; it’s about asserting our right to govern ourselves. The simple act of voting is more than a civic duty – it’s the heartbeat of a functioning democracy.

Vote integrity hinges on our freedom to participate in the electoral process without fear, intimidation or manipulation. 

It’s a human right that should be defended at all costs.

For more information on voting in New Mexico, visit the state’s online portal at NMVote.com.

Contact the writer at Peter505@me.com.