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Federal Court May Consider Challenge To Duran's Bid To End Straight Ticket Voting

NM Secretary of State Dianna Duran
Former NM Sec. of State Dianna Duran
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NM Secretary of State Dianna Duran

A lawsuit over straight party ticket voting is on hold in the New Mexico Supreme Court while a federal court considers the legal dispute.  The state's highest court on Tuesday postponed proceedings in a case brought by Democrats to restore the option of straight ticket voting — the ability to vote for a political party's entire slate of candidate with a single mark on a ballot.

The court order came a day after Republican Secretary of State Dianna Duran asked the U.S. District Court to handle the case. She contends it will violate the Constitution's equal protection guarantee if ballots are redesigned after some New Mexicans already have voted.

Straight ticket voting has been allowed until this election. Duran says it's not authorized by state law, but Democrats disagree.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.