Post-Election Audit Board Members from left, Linda Fox, Nora Berninger, Norma Tech, Ed Santiago-Munoz, Kim Thomas, John Puckett, Jan Michel, Robert Stewart, Ken Thomas, Barbara Calef, and Maribeth Daniels. Photo by County Clerk Naomi Maestas

District Judge Jason Lidyard, center, working with Post-Election Audit Board Members. Photo by County Clerk Naomi Maestas

From the Los Alamos County Clerk’s Office:

• The post-election audit results proved to be an exact match between the machine tapes and the results hand-tallied.

The Los Alamos County (LAC) Clerk’s Office has completed the required accuracy check (Post-Election Audit) of the tabulators used in the Nov. 7, 2023 Regular Local Election. Various precincts within counties throughout the State of New Mexico were selected for the purpose of having the County Clerks manually recount the votes directly from the paper ballots in the precincts randomly selected.

On Nov. 29, 2023, LAC was notified by accounting firm of Zlotnik & Sandoval, PC that Precinct 1 was randomly selected for the voting system check with regard to the College Board Member At-Large University of New Mexico-Los Alamos and Los Alamos Public Schools General Obligation Bond Question races. As required by law, Los Alamos County Clerk Naomi Maestas appointed bi-partisan election workers to serve on the post-election audit board (Board) and the post-election audit was conducted Monday, Dec. 11, in the County Clerk’s Warehouse at the Municipal Building, 1000 Central Ave.

The Board consisted of Kim Thomas, Linda Fox, Maribeth Daniels, Ken Thomas, Nora Berninger, Jan Michel, Barbara Calef, Norma Tech, Robert Stewart, Kim Christensen, Ed Santiago-Munoz, John Puckett, and Lisa Romero. Also in attendance were Clerk Maestas, District Judge Jason Lidyard, Elections Manager Victoria Martinez, Chief Deputy Clerk Tessa Jo Mascareñas and Deputy Clerk Stevie Terrazas.

The post-election audit used a statistical method to check the accuracy of the vote tabulators used during the Regular Local Election by comparing a hand count of select precincts to the machine tabulated results. During the post-election audit process, the Board reviewed, hand-tallied and verified the accuracy of the results for Precinct 1, with regard to the College Board Member At-Large University of New Mexico-Los Alamos and Los Alamos Public Schools General Obligation Bond Question races, for the early, absentee and election day tabulators.The post-election audit results proved to be an exact match between the machine tapes and the results hand-tallied.

“Democracy thrives on the integrity of elections,” Clerk Maestas said. “Election audits serve as guardians of trust, ensuring that every vote is counted accurately, and that every voice is heard. Verifying the totals tabulated by the machines against those hand-tallied by the board is vital in ensuring the accuracy of elections.”

These results will be sent to the accounting firm of Zlotnik & Sandoval, PC and the New Mexico Secretary of State, as required by law. The results will be made available on the County Clerk’s webpage: www.losalamosnm.us/clerk.

For more information, visit the Clerk’s website or contact the office at 505.662.8010 or by email at clerks@lacnm.us.

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