Los Alamos Board Of Registration Reviews List Of 1,259 Inactive Voters For Removal

Los Alamos County Board of Registration members from left, Kim Thomas, George Chandler and Audra Short. Courtesy/Sharon Stover

COUNTY News:

The Los Alamos County Board of Registration (the board) met Tuesday and Wednesday to review the list of inactive voters (1,259) to ascertain whether they meet the criteria to be purged from the voter rolls.  

The list of voters was compiled through efforts of the the New Mexico Secretary of State and the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993, (NVRA). The board, consisting of Audra Short, George Chandler and Kimberly Thomas, was appointed by the County Council Feb. 6.

In order to be eligible for removal from the voter rolls, the following criteria shall be met: 

  • The registrant was mailed a confirmation mailing Aug. 1, 2012;
  • The registrant is currently in “Inactive” status;
  • The registrant has not updated his/her registration address since being mailed the August 1, 2012 confirmation mailing; and
  • The registrant has not voted in any election since being mailed the Aug. 1, 2012 confirmation mailing.

The board reviewed each name on the inactive list and verified that 1,259 names did indeed meet the criteria outlined above, thus, directing the County Clerk to cancel the registration of 1,259 voters from the Los Alamos County voter rolls.

“We reviewed the proposed purge and found no inconsistencies and find the entire process to be very straightforward,” Chandler said.

“Since a complete purge had not been done since 2007, when asked to look at each voter record individually rather than merely a spot check, the board was willing to accept responsibility for this important task. We appreciate the consistent manner in which they conducted the purge, ensuring that our voter roll is dependable, accurate and up-to-date. The board is to be commended for adhering to the rules and procedures outlined by the Secretary of State Office,” County Clerk Sharon Stover said.

New Mexico had fallen out of compliance with the NVRA and state law under the previous NM SOS administration, beginning in 2007. As a consequence, the first step of this process was not done in 2007 and 2009, resulting in an inability to remove ineligible voters in 2011 or 2013. (In 2007 there were 1,104 voters removed from the voter rolls.)  

Board member Kim Thomas said, “The process gave us insight, and allowed us to cross check multiple facets of the voter file to ensure the integrity and veracity of the voter registration process.” 

Board member Audra Short added, “We appreciate the preparation of the clerk staff in enabling us to complete the entire process in a timely manner.”

The county clerk will submit the board’s final report to the New Mexico SOS, as required and keep all physical records for six years.

Stover would like to remind residents who are not registered, or have moved, need to complete a voter registration form in the County Clerk’s Office at 1000 Central Ave., 2nd Floor, Suite 240, as well as at the Motor Vehicle Department and libraries.

For more information, contact the Clerk’s Office at 505.662.8010, by email at clerks@lacnm.us.

 

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