New Mexico Secretary of State Dianna Duran is defending her decision to remove the straight ticket voting option from the general election ballot in November. She contends that the removal is necessary because straight ticket voting is not authorized by state law.
Despite that, New Mexico voters have historically been able to cast a straight ticket ballot and that option was available in the 2010 election. In the 2010 November election, state records show more Democrats (23%) used the straight ticket option than Republicans (18%).
In a press release, Duran stated:
“It’s important for New Mexicans to know that I have not ‘decided’
to allow or disallow Straight-Party Voting,” said Secretary of State Dianna Duran, “the
Legislature decided not to re-authorize Straight-Party Voting, and the Office of the Secretary of
State is required to follow the law.”
Secretary Duran added, “If the Legislature meets in special session and enacts Straight-Party
Voting, and if that bill is then signed by the governor, we will certainly place a Straight-Party
option on the ballot for the General Election.”