Los Alamos County Board of Registration members met March 4 via Zoom. Courtesy photo
COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE NEWS
The Los Alamos County Board of Registration met Thursday, March 4 to review the list of 333 eligible voters to “purge” based upon confirmation mailings sent out to inactive and National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) flagged voters in August 2018. This list of eligible voters was compiled through unbiased efforts of the NM Secretary of State pursuant to the NVRA. Due the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was noticed and conducted virtually via Zoom. Board members in attendance were: Danielle Gardner, Cameron Counters, James Cline and David Schiferl. Board member JoAnn Johnson was not in attendance. Also in attendance were County Clerk Naomi Maestas, Elections Manager Steve Fresquez, Chief Deputy Clerk Adrianna Ortiz, Senior Deputy Clerk Victoria Martinez, and Senior Deputy Clerk Victoria Montoya.
Pursuant to State law, the board meets every odd year to review the list of eligible voters to “purge”, following guidelines set forth by the Secretary of State. Following the review, the board then directs the County Clerk to cancel the registration of any voter who has been sent a notice in conformance with 1-4-28 NMSA and who: 1) The registrant was mailed a confirmation mailing in August 2018; 2) The registrant is currently in “Inactive” status; 3) The registrant has not updated his or her registration address since being mailed the August 2018 confirmation mailing; and 4) The registrant has not voted in any election since being mailed the August 2018 confirmation mailing.
The board reviewed the records on the list and verified they indeed met the criteria outlined above, thus, directing the County Clerk to cancel the registration of 333 voters from the Los Alamos County voter rolls.
“It has been my pleasure and privilege to serve on the Los Alamos County Board of Registration. County Clerk Naomi Maestas, and her staff, as well as my fellow board members, made the entire voter cancellation process fair, efficient, and pleasant! Keeping the voter lists up to date in a fair and efficient manner is crucial for our well-functioning democratic government,” said Board Member David Schiferl.
Board Member Counters added, “One of the highlights of being a member of Board of Registration has been working with County Clerk Maestas and her staff. I have had the opportunity to see their exceptional dedication and diligence to ensuring the integrity of the voting process in Los Alamos County.”
“Thanks to all, the voter purge process was quick and painless,” stated Board Member Cline.
“The process conducted today complies with federal and state law. Los Alamos is very fortunate to have these devoted community members who are to be commended for adhering to the guidelines and procedures prescribed by the Secretary of State’s Office. I appreciate the time and meticulous dedication the cross-party, locally appointed Board spent during the purge process ensuring that our voter rolls are accurate and are in proper order.” stated Clerk Maestas.
The Board’s certification and final report will be submitted to the Secretary of State s required, and will be made available on the County Clerk webpage: www.losalamosnm.us/clerk.
Clerk Maestas would like to remind residents who are not registered, have moved, or changed their mailing address, to complete a voter registration form. Forms are available at the County Clerk’s Office, located at 1000 Central Avenue, 2nd Floor, Suite 240, or apply online through the NM SOS Voter Registration Portal (NMVote.org) available at http://www.sos.state.nm.us.
For more info, please visit the Clerk’s website at http://www.losalamosnm.us/clerk or contact the office at 505-662-8010 or by email at clerks@lacnm.us.
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Pictured above at the Zoom meeting, L to R, first row: Chief Deputy Clerk Adrianna Ortiz; Board Member Cameron Counters; Elections Manager Steve Fresquez; L to R, second row: Board Member James Cline; Board Member David Schiferl; County Clerk Naomi D. Maestas; L to R, third row (not on camera): Member of the Public, Torrance County Clerk Yvonne Otero; Senior Deputy Clerk Victoria Martinez; and Senior Deputy Clerk Victoria Montoya. (Board Member JoAnn Johnson was not in attendance.)