FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

14 July 2022  

Contact:  

Alex Curtas, Director of Communications 

New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State  

505-469-2783  

alex.curtas@state.nm.us  

State Canvassing Board Certifies 2022 Primary Election Automatic Recounts

SANTA FE – New Mexico’s State Canvassing Board met today in Santa Fe and certified the automatic recounts for six races from the 2022 Primary Election. The recounts were conducted according to state law in an open and transparent manner by County Clerk staff in the six affected counties.

All the recounts were open to the public and were conducted for the following races:

  • Catron County Magistrate Judge
  • Colfax County Assessor
  • Mora County Commissioner, Position 2
  • Otero County Commissioner, District 2
  • Rio Arriba County Commissioner, District 2
  • Valencia County Probate Judge 

None of the recounts resulted in any changes from the original winners of the races.

The recount results in Otero County reflect a total difference of three votes from the original tally. This difference is because there were discrepancies in the original hand tallying of certain ballots that occurred on Primary Election Day. Upon further review by the election board during the recount, three additional votes were determined to be valid and were added to the total count.

“The recount process in New Mexico is conducted by professional election administrators following the letter of law in a transparent way that allows the public to observe at every step,” said Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver. “The recount process also underscores the integrity of our election processes and the accuracy of our voting machines, as no race outcome changed because of the recounts. This is an important point, given all the misinformation about our voting machines and election processes. Every New Mexican voter should have the highest level of confidence in how our elections are conducted. I want to again thank all the election administrators across the state who ran the 2022 Primary Election and the recounts with efficiency and integrity.”  

The State Canvassing Board is composed of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (who was absent today), Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, and Chief Justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court Shannon Bacon. 

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