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Lea County Commission unanimously certifies November canvass; two mayoral races to be recounted
Summary
The Lea County Commission voted unanimously to certify the county's November canvass after a clerk's report on turnout and two mayoral races that triggered automatic recounts; the clerk flagged outreach and voter-roll maintenance as priorities.
Carrie Sandoval, Lea County clerk, told the commission the office completed the canvass of the November election and recommended the board certify the results, noting a turnout of 7,215 voters and that 7,207 ballots were tabulated while eight were hand-tallied.
Sandoval, who opened her report by thanking county departments and poll workers for supporting the election, said two mayoral contests ' the Tatum and Gell races ' triggered automatic recounts under state statute. "We do have 2 races that triggered the automatic recount, by statute. That would be Tatum and Gell mayoral race," she said and added the recount scheduling is being coordinated with the district judge and would occur after Dec. 1.
The clerk described the next administrative steps: a system recheck, a precinct drawing with the secretary of state, and the subsequent statutory recount. "The precinct drawing will be with the secretary of state on Monday, and then we have, I believe it's the week of Thanksgiving," she said, and noted she is "fairly confident in our tabulators" based on routine pre-election certification and post-election checks.
Commissioners and members of the public raised questions about voter education and residency. Sandoval said confusion about city limits versus school district boundaries had left some voters surprised about which contests appeared on their ballots and called voter education a higher priority for upcoming elections. She explained the voter-roll maintenance process: the secretary of state mails notices before elections and returned mail is used to identify likely movers; if mailers are discarded the county has no independent trigger to mark a voter as moved. "We still have to have something to trigger them to be put into the NVRA process," she said.
Speakers also discussed allegations of voters or candidates living outside required districts. Sandoval said such residency allegations could be referred to the attorney general's office for investigation but that enforcement is not within the clerk's office authority.
A motion to certify the canvass was made (mover identified in the record as Mr. Simms) and seconded (Mr. Webber). The clerk read roll-call votes: Sherry Tynan, yes; Vice Chair Webber, yes; Commissioner Kimbrough, yes; Commissioner Pierce, yes; Commissioner Sands, yes. The motion carried unanimously. The commission adjourned with no further business reported.
What happens next: system rechecks and the statutory recounts for the two close mayoral races will be scheduled in coordination with the district judge and the secretary of state.
