FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
31 May 2022
Contact:
Alex Curtas, Director of Communications
New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office
505-469-2783
alex.curtas@state.nm.us
Rumor vs. Reality Website Fact Checks Misinformation About New Mexico’s Voting and Elections
SANTA FE – Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver today announced the launch of her Office’s “Rumor vs. Reality” website, a resource that offers the public accurate information about New Mexico’s voting and elections and corrects the most prevalent points of misinformation that continue to circulate in public discourse.
“With the Primary Election one week away, voters should be on the lookout for misinformation that seeks to question the integrity of our elections,” said Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, the state’s Chief Elections Officer. “If the past two years are any indication, efforts will be made to question the legitimacy of this election and other elections in the future. That’s why it is so important that voters get the facts and why we’ve launched this resource.”
Misinformation about how New Mexico’s elections are conducted and how our elections are safeguarded continues to spread. Conspiracy theorists continue to question the legitimacy of the 2020 election and election deniers promoting the Big Lie are running for offices throughout the country. The persistence of these lies presents a danger to our democratic way of life. As lies about the 2020 election and other election procedures and processes continue to spread, this risks undermining people’s confidence in our institutions and can inspire dangerous behaviors and violence.
The Secretary of State’s new misinformation fact check page is modeled off of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) “Rumor Control” web page that debunks “common misinformation and disinformation narratives and themes that relate broadly to the security of election infrastructure and related processes.”
New Mexico’s “Rumor vs Reality” web page focuses on the most prevalent misinformation that has circulated in our state and will be updated on an ongoing basis to address new issues as they arise.
The website addresses questions that many voters have or may have heard about, such as “Can someone ever tell who I voted for?” (No), “Does New Mexico use paper ballots?” (Yes, in every election), “Are independent, post-election audits performed in New Mexico to ensure the accuracy of election results?” (Yes, along with a variety of other pre- and post-election safeguards).
The spread of misinformation about our voting and elections is a serious issue and the Secretary of State’s Office reminds voters to seek out trusted sources of information, like through their County Clerk’s office or at the Secretary of State’s Office. Additional information about voting in New Mexico – including a list of County Clerk contact information, how to request an absentee ballot, find polling locations, update voter registration information, and more – can be found at NMVOTE.ORG.
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