Article author:
Associated Press
Christina A. Cassidy and Morgan Lee
Santa Fe, New Mexico (AP) — Proving the results of the primary elections in New Mexico's local elections The first refusal spread the ripples Last week's country was at a point of politicization, even the most basic function of democracy, in a whirlpool of lies resulting from the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. It is a symbol of what has become.
One question remained when the Otero County Commission finally forgave. That's why New Mexico, not the political battlefield, is Joe Biden's easy defeat of Donald Trump two years ago.
The seeds of the short-term election crisis that ended in a confrontation with the Secretary of State and an order from the New Mexico Supreme Court were planted with David a few months ago. rice field. Clements, a conservative lawyer, has begun to raise conspiracy theories and false allegations about the last presidential election that came to dominate political debate in Republican counties.
However, it is not only Otero County that local election management is on the cross of conspiracy theorists, and Clements is not the only one involved in its efforts.
Supporters and allies of former President Donald Trump are meeting with local civil servants across the country — questioning the 2020 elections, seeking access to voting equipment, and managing county elections We are pressing for confusing changes. This effort has resulted in a security breach of voting equipment, creating confusion in New Mexico that has traditionally been a routine task.
"You have seen many people in a hurry to meet their demands to provide evidence of the fraud created by Trump. Levine, who is now a Fellow of the Alliance to Secure Democracy.
In the 2020 presidential election, there were no widespread scams that could change the outcome.
Even before the November 3, 2020 election, Trump pointed out to supporters that fraud was the only way to lose reelection, and in most cases and without evidence, the expansion of mail voting. During the pandemic.
Since then, there has been no evidence to support the allegations. They have dozens of judges, then Trump's Attorney General, and the 2020 vote "the safest" in US history. Was fired by a coalition of federal and state elections and cybersecurity officials called.
It does not prevent the spread of false claims that have appeared in many of the same events and were promoted by a group of Trump supporters who are regularly involved with each other. ..
Clements, a former assistant district attorney in southern New Mexico and a former business professor at New Mexico State University, talks to local government boards, conservative conventions, and church groups. I traveled to the country. He attended the "Cyber Symposium" held by My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell last year. Mike Lindell is a major Trump ally who tried to prove that the voting machine was operated to favor Biden.
Clements' popular social media feed on Telegram frequently interweaves declarations of democracy in the Bible and prayer. It also includes video chats with like-minded people.
In a video in March, Clements chatted with Jim Marchant, a Nevada Trump loyalist who claims the elections were fraudulent for a long time. The merchant recently won the Republican primary of the Secretary of State, who holds the highest position in the Nevada elections. He was the main organizer of a group of "America First" candidates this year, denying the outcome of the 2020 presidential election or promoting the idea that US elections are corrupt.
In the video, Clements and Merchant discuss the "County Commission Strategy." This includes not only throwing all ballots by hand, but also pressing local civil servants to remove the "cheat" machine so that they can be counted by hand. According to election experts, manual counting of ballots is not only inaccurate, but also very laborious, and results can be delayed by weeks, if not months. It is also said to be unnecessary as ballots are tested before and after elections to ensure that ballots are read and aggregated correctly.
A day ago, county officials in Nye County, Nevada voted to require the county clerk not to use ballots in the upcoming November elections. .. The clerk opposed the move and decided to retire after the primary. The merchant was one of the people who urged the commissioner to take action.
"It was the first time Domino had fallen that we were able to return to a fair and transparent election in this country," the merchant told Clements. "And I'm going to do that here in more counties in Nevada, and I hope this will allow other states in other states to do the same."
Clements Excited about development and promised to work with the county to do the same in his hometown of New Mexico. He once sought a Republican nomination in the US Senate.
"Commissioners shouldn't care if I trust the system," Clements told the merchant. "I love how you get through all the noise."
This week, Clements will be performing at an event in Louisiana. Douglas Frank is another Lindel companion who is traveling the country in meetings with state and local officials. In May 2021, Frank met with a member who offered to scrutinize the Ohio Secretary of State's voting process, and he boasted of working with county authorities in 22 states.
"You can come to our team and audit together to show that there was no cheating or you can oppose us," Frank said. According to the staff of his agency. The office did not accept the offer.
For months, Clements has urged a Republican-friendly county in New Mexico to begin a partisan review of the 2020 elections. Chamber of Commerce of the State Legislature. In Otero County, where Trump won by a wide margin, Clements and his wife Erin are conducting an informal and unpaid review of the county's 2020 election process.
As a result, a series of presentations were given to the County Commission on the unproven vulnerabilities of voting machines and patterns of voter registration activities. Clements, who lists Las Cruces as his place of residence, did not respond to his request for an interview.
Earlier this month, the couple gave a presentation again when the Otello County Commissioner was considering whether to stop using the ballot schedule. It prompted a counter-argument from Otero County Secretary Robin Holmes.
"There's a lot they've found, but that's not true," Holmes said.
Nevertheless, the Commissioner voted to stop using ballot tabulators before the November elections.
Clements is one of those who repeated conspiracy theories about voting devices dating back to the day immediately after the 2020 elections and urged Otello County Commissioners to oppose the June 7 primary approval. was. The clerk Holmes said the primary was successful.
Clements also urged Commissioners to go to Torrance County, another conservative base in New Mexico, to rebel against the authorities and refuse to prove the outcome of the primary. During last Friday's meeting, the crowd threw insults of "traitors" and "cowards" on the commissioner before voting to prove the results.
Election authorities and experts accept conspiracy theories surrounding voting machines Local election commissions in other states follow the Otero County example and disrupt election results He expressed concern about what could be brought about.
Nevada counties must approve the state's June 14 primary results by Friday. Commissioners in Nye County, who want to stop using ballot tabulators, will meet on Friday to consider certification. They don't publicly say what they are trying to do.
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Cassidy reported from Atlanta. Las Vegas Associated Press writer Ken Ritter. Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio; Scott Sonar in Reno, Nevada contributed to this report.
