DO NOT WANT TO BE AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COOTIES ON ALL SIDES WAITING IN A LONG LINE FOR MY CHANCE TO VOTE.

ALTHOUGH I LOVE TO VOTE, AND IN THE PAST I ALWAYS VOTED IN PERSON, I GOT THE STICKER AND I HAVE, YOU KNOW, LITTLE TEARS IN MY EYES FOR BEING PART OF THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.

NOW I JUST WANT TO STAY HEALTHY AND STILL DO MY CIVIC DUTY.

SO, THANK YOU, BECAUSE ON THIS NMVOTE.ORG YOU CAN FIND OUT EVERYTHING.

>>MAGGIE: THAT'S RIGHT.

>>LORENE: SO, AND IT'S REALLY COOL BECAUSE I HAVE FRIENDS WHO SAY, WELL, TELL ME WHO YOU'RE VOTING FOR AND I'LL VOTE FOR THEM.

I SAID, NO, IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT, YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT BALLOT, BUT I WILL GO ONLINE AND YOU CAN GET YOUR BALLOT, AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT, RESEARCH THE CANDIDATES.

BEFORE, SOME OF THE NOT SO MUCH THE PRIMARIES, MAYBE DOES THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AND OTHER PEOPLE PUT OUT A VOTER GUIDE, DO THEY DO IT FOR THE PRIMARY OR JUST THE GENERAL?

>>MAGGIE: JUST THE GENERAL, BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE TOO THAT VOTEFOR411 WEBSITE OR THE PHYSICAL, IF YOU'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET A PHYSICAL LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS GUIDE IN THE PAPER FORMAT.

THEY PROVIDE AND IT'S TOTALLY BIPARTISAN AND THEY SOLICIT INFORMATION FROM EVERYBODY.

>>LORENE: THE EXACT SAME QUESTION FOR THE DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS AND WHOEVER ELSE AND THEN THEY PRINT THE WHOLE THING, IT'S NOT EDITED.

>>MAGGIE: THAT'S RIGHT.

>>LORENE: THEY DON'T JUST CUT OUT, YOU KNOW, IF THEY DISAGREE WITH SOMETHING THAT ONE OF THE CANDIDATES SAYING, NO, IT'S VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE BROUGHT AS SECRETARY OF STATE IS A WONDERFUL STANDARD OF ELECTION INTEGRITY AND IT'S SO GOOD FOR THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY STATES THAT DON'T HAVE THAT WHERE THERE IS CORRUPTION AND THERE'S INFLUENCE AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE SINCE 2016 AND KEEPING UP THAT HIGH STANDARD OF INTEGRITY FOR US.

>>MAGGIE: THANK YOU FOR SAYING SO, LORENE, AND I KNOW I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS MAYBE ONCE BEFORE, BUT WE WERE RANKED NUMBER ONE BY THE MIT ELECTION LAB.

>>LORENE: I WAS LOOKING FOR THAT STATISTIC, TELL US ALL ABOUT IT.

I MEAN, NUMBER ONE IN THE COUNTRY, MIT.

>>MAGGIE: CORRECT AND AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SO MANY, YOU KNOW, OUR STATE IS AMAZING AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL AND WE HAVE A LOT OF CHALLENGES.

AND SO BEING AT THE TOP OF A GOOD LIST IS NOT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS VERY OFTEN AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN BE EXTREMELY PROUD OF THAT WE ARE NUMBER ONE IN THE NATION FOR ELECTION INTEGRITY AND ACCESS, BOTH AT THE SAME TIME.

SO, YOU KNOW, MIT RANKS A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT FACTORS, IT LOOKS AT THINGS LIKE PARTICIPATION, IT LOOKS AT DO WE AUDIT ELECTIONS, DO WE ENSURE THAT VOTERS HAVE MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO CAST A BALLOT, ALL THE THINGS.

SO I'M VERY I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT.

>>LORENE: WELL, I'M VERY PROUD OF IT AND THANK YOU.

WE'RE SPEAKING TODAY WITH MAGGIE TOULOUSE OLIVER, THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE GREAT STATE OF NEW MEXICO, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I WANT TO GO TO THE OTHER ELEMENT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OPEN PRIMARIES, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED THE SAVE ACT, AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE ORWELLIAN, YOU KNOW, LOVE IS HATE, WAR IS PEACE, WHERE THE NAME, SAVE, OH HOW WONDERFUL, LET'S SAVE WHATEVER IT IS.

BUT IT'S NOT SAVING ANYTHING, IT'S ACTUALLY, REDUCING ACCESS, PARTICULARLY FOR MARRIED WOMEN TO VOTE.

IT'S CALLED THE SAFEGUARD AMERICAN VOTER ELIGIBILITY ACT.

RIGHT, EXPLAIN WHAT IT DEMANDS.

SO FOR A PERSON TO REGISTER TO VOTE, WHAT DOES IT REQUIRE?

>>MAGGIE: WELL, IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE, FIRST OF ALL, EVERYTHING YOU WOULD NEED TO GET A REAL ID AND THEN IN SOME CASES MORE DOCUMENTATION THAN THAT.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, AS YOU POINT OUT, MARRIED WOMEN AND I AM A WOMAN WHO IS DIVORCED, BUT I HAVE TWO MARRIED LAST NAMES, SO I'M GOING TO HAVE TO FIND MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE, MY FIRST MARRIAGE LICENSE, MY SECOND MARRIAGE LICENSE AND THEN SOCIAL SECURITY, WHATEVER OTHER, PASSPORT, DRIVER'S LICENSE, ETC.

SO I'M PERSONALLY GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH A LOT TO BE REGISTERED TO VOTE.

>>LORENE: ALSO IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO VOTE.

>>MAGGIE: CORRECT.

>>LORENE: SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CART FULL OF DOCUMENTS TO SHOW AND YOU WERE GOING TO VOTE THAT DAY, IT'S THE LAST DAY, YOU HAVE BEEN DISENFRANCHISED BECAUSE OF THE DRACONIAN DEMANDS.

I MEAN, WE WANT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF IDENTIFICATION, BUT PARTICULARLY, I THINK WITH SOME MARRIED WOMEN, IT'S 69 MILLION.

>>MAGGIE: 69 MILLION MARRIED WOMEN IN THIS COUNTRY, WHO HAVE NAME CHANGES.

>>LORENE: THAT'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF VOTERS TO DISENFRANCHISE.

>>MAGGIE: WELL, WELL IT IS AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE THAT I THINK IS A CHALLENGE WITH THE SAVE ACT IS THAT, IT HAS AN IMMEDIATE, EFFECTIVE DEADLINE, AND THERE'S NO FUNDING.

SO WE AS STATES ARE SUPPOSED TO TRY TO IMPLEMENT THESE REQUIREMENTS, AND THERE'S A BUNCH OF OTHER REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE IN THAT ACT, MANY OF WHICH WE ACTUALLY ALREADY DO HERE IN NEW MEXICO, BUT HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT?

WE CAN'T DO IT OVERNIGHT AND WE CAN'T DO IT WITH NO FUNDING.

SO THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGER CHALLENGES WE'RE DEALING WITH TOO.

>>LORENE: WELL, IT'S BASED ON A LIE BECAUSE THERE IS AN ELEMENT IN OUR CULTURE THAT IS CRAZY ABOUT VOTER FRAUD, THAT EVERYBODY'S GOING TO LIE, CHEAT AND STEAL TO VOTE FOR DOGCATCHER, YOU KNOW, AND THEY HAVE DONE RESEARCH LOOKING FOR VOTER FRAUD BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT, IF IT'S A FRAUD, WOULD LIKE TO STAMP IT OUT, >>MAGGIE: OF COURSE.

>>LORENE: BUT THIS SAVE ACT IS NOT THE WAY TO DO IT, I'M VERY DISTURBED ABOUT IT.

>>MAGGIE: NO, IT'S ACTUALLY A VOTER SUPPRESSION VEHICLE.

IT'S NOT FOR THE INTENT OF ACTUALLY FIXING A PROBLEM, BECAUSE THE PROBLEM, AS IT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED, DOESN'T REALLY EXIST TO YOUR POINT.

LORENE.

TO THE EXTENT IT DOES, IT'S VERY MINOR AND WE FIND IT AND WE REFER IT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY PROSECUTED PEOPLE FOR COMMITTING VOTER FRAUD.

>>LORENE: BUT NOT MANY, IT'S NOT AN EPIDEMIC.

>>MAGGIE: THAT'S THE POINT, EXACTLY, RIGHT.

>>LORENE: AND THE DANGER IS, THE LAST THREE ELECTION CYCLES WERE REALLY, REALLY CLOSE AND IF WE REDUCED THE POTENTIAL VOTERS BY 1 OR 2%, IT COULD CHANGE THE WHOLE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION AND THAT'S WHAT THE SAVE ACT DOESN'T SAVE.

IT'S JUST A TOOL FOR DISENFRANCHISING, YOU KNOW, WELL-MEANING VOTERS AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW, IF YOU DON'T ASK THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE HAVE A COMMUNICATION, PUBLIC OUTREACH OR A INFORMATION OFFICER THAT CAN GET THIS INTO THE NEWS, LIKE, THANK GOODNESS WE'RE DOING, THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO KNOW WHEN YOU GO IN AND IF IT'S THE LAST DAY AND YOU WAITED AND THEY SUDDENLY SAY, WELL, YOU HAVE TO BRING IN ALL THESE DOCUMENTS, YOU'RE NOT COMING BACK.

>>MAGGIE: NO, OF COURSE NOT.

>>LORENE: YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE.

>>MAGGIE: YEAH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP REQUIRES AND THINK ABOUT ALL OF OUR LIKE NAVAJO AUNTIES AND THESE YOU KNOW YOUNG FOLKS WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, AWAY AND LIVING IN SCHOOL, WHO DON'T HAVE THOSE.

WHEN I WAS A KID, MY MOM, LIKE, HAD MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE, YOU KNOW, AND I WOULD HAVE TO ASK HER, CAN YOU SEND ME THAT IF I NEED IT?

SO TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, THERE ARE GOING TO BE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE 100% AMERICAN AND OF COURSE, THAT'S ALL WE WANT VOTING IN OUR ELECTIONS, BUT WHO WON'T BE ABLE TO PROVE IT.

>>LORENE: SO WE ARE FACING SUCH HARD CHALLENGES IN THE 2026 ELECTION, ELECTION SECURITY, THAT'S ONE THING WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT BECAUSE, VOTERS, EVEN VOLUNTEERS WHO COME IN TO JUST WATCH THE VOTING PROCESS, NOT TO MENTION THE ACTUAL ELECTION WORKERS, NOT TO MENTION YOUR STAFF, THEY GET THREATS, YOU KNOW, AND IT SHOULDN'T BE JUST FOR DOING THEIR JOB.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED WITH RUDY GIULIANI.

HE LOST AND THEN HE BLAMED THESE TWO ELECTION WORKERS ON IT, DEFAMED THEM COMPLETELY AND THEY GOT DEATH THREATS AND THEY HAD TO MOVE, THEY COULD NEVER GO HOME, IT WAS JUST HORRIBLE.

FORTUNATELY, HE JUST HAD TO COMPENSATE THEM FOR DEFAMING THEM.

HE HAD TO GIVE THEM SHARES OF HIS NEW YORK CONDO WITH PARTS OF HIS LUXURY GOODS AND STUFF, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG.

THEY WERE SIMPLY DOING THEIR JOB AND IF HE COULDN'T ACCEPT THE FACT THAT HE LOST AND THAT'S ANOTHER, THEN HE WAS COMPLAINING AND BUT THE COURT SAID, NO, YOU HAVE TO PAY THEM, YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY DEFAMED THEM.

THE BIG LIE THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO DO, LIKE HE DID IN 2020, GIULIANI DID, WAS I REALLY WON, THERE WAS A MOTTO STOP THE STEAL.

SO TO ERODE THE CONFIDENCE WE HAVE IN ELECTION INTEGRITY, IN THE FOUNDATIONAL ACT OF DEMOCRACY, IT'S I DON'T KNOW, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT HOW WE CAN COUNTERBALANCE IT.

>>MAGGIE: IT'S A VERY CHALLENGING QUESTION AND YOU KNOW, YOU AND I HAVE CHATTED ABOUT THIS OVER THE YEARS, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE INTERESTING THING SINCE LAST WE TALKED IS THAT WE HAD AN ELECTION IN 2024 AND DONALD TRUMP WON THE ELECTION.

AND THEN I STARTED SEEING ALL OF THE SORT OF COUNTER, YOU KNOW, FROM THE LEFT, OF PEOPLE SAYING, OH, HE DIDN'T REALLY WIN THE ELECTION.

AND I STILL SEE IT ALMOST DAILY ON SOCIAL MEDIA OF PEOPLE SAYING, I REALLY DON'T THINK HE WON THE ELECTION, I REALLY DON'T THINK HE WON.

WELL, HERE'S THE DEAL.

HE WON.

OUR ELECTIONS ARE INCREDIBLY SECURE AND THE CHALLENGE IS THAT AS ELECTION OFFICIALS, WHETHER IT'S FROM THE WRITER FROM THE LEFT, WE HAVE TO PROVE A NEGATIVE.

SO SOMETHING DIDN'T HAPPEN, WE'RE BEING ASKED TO PROVE THAT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN, WHICH NOBODY CAN DO.

>>LORENE: YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

>>MAGGIE: SO ALL WE CAN DO IS MAKE OUR PROCESSES MORE TRANSPARENT.

I WILL SAY IN TERMS OF DEATH THREATS AND THINGS THAT HAS DIED DOWN A BIT.

I DON'T THINK IT'S GONE AWAY COMPLETELY, BUT IT JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU THAT WHEN THERE'S AN ELECTION OUTCOME THAT COMES OUT THE WAY YOU WANT IT TO, PEOPLE FEEL DIFFERENTLY ABOUT ELECTION INTEGRITY.

>>LORENE: BUT THERE'S ANOTHER ELEMENT, MISINFORMATION AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

>>MAGGIE: RIGHT.

>>LORENE: SO, ONCE THEY GET THE RUMOR OUT ABOUT GIULIANI'S THREAT ABOUT THESE ELECTION WORKERS THAT THEY WERE, THAT THEY HAD STOLEN THE ELECTION, ONCE THAT RUMOR GETS OUT, IT'S VERY HARD, LIKE YOU SAY, YOU CAN'T PROVE THAT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

AND EVEN TALKING ABOUT IT MAKES PEOPLE THEY DON'T HEAR THAT PART DIDN'T HAPPEN, THEY HEAR, OH, YEAH, ELECTION FRAUD.

SO WE'RE IN A REALLY CHALLENGING POSITION TO TRY TO GET THE TRUTH OUT.

>>MAGGIE: WE DO, YOU KNOW, IN MY OFFICE, WE DO OUR BEST.

I KNOW ELECTION OFFICES AROUND THE COUNTRY, WHETHER THEY BE LOCAL OR STATE, WE ALL DO OUR BEST, BUT IT'S REALLY HARD TO COMPETE WITH THE MEGAPHONE SO BIG AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, WHEN THOSE QUESTIONS ARE BEING ASKED.

>>LORENE: WELL, WE HAVE TO EDUCATE THE ELECTORATE, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE DOING THE SHOW, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

BUT REMEMBER, IN DECEMBER 2020, THE PARTIES THAT LOST SENT FAKE ELECTORS ANYWAY TO COME IN, AND, THEY SENT IT WAS, DECEMBER 2020, WHEN NEW MEXICO'S FIVE ELECTORAL VOTES WERE AWARDED TO BIDEN.

A GROUP OF SELF-APPOINTED REPUBLICAN DELEGATES CAME TO THE CAPITOL, AND THEY WERE DENIED ENTRY BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT THE OFFICIAL ELECTORS.

BUT IT WAS A VERY, BRAZEN ATTACK AGAINST THE ELECTION RESULTS, NO, WE'RE JUST GOING TO SHOW UP ANYWAY, THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED.

>>MAGGIE: THAT'S RIGHT, I DIDN'T ALLOW THEM.

>>LORENE: YES, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

>>MAGGIE: BUT TO YOUR POINT, IT WAS SUCH AN INTERESTING ELECTION THIS TIME BECAUSE WE WERE ANTICIPATING SO MUCH OF THAT KIND OF THING, AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

I CAN TELL YOU, WHEN NEW MEXICO'S ELECTORS CAME TOGETHER IN DECEMBER OF 2024, WE DIDN'T HAVE AN ATTEMPT, OTHER INDIVIDUALS, YOU KNOW, TO TRY TO TAKE OVER THE PROCESS LIKE THEY DID IN 2020.

WE DIDN'T HAVE THE CONCERNS ABOUT SECURITY, WE ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH A HUGE PROCESS OF ACTUALLY PROTECTING OUR ELECTORS THIS TIME AND MAKING SURE THEY WERE SAFE.

OF COURSE, I WON'T GET INTO THE DETAILS FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, BUT WE WENT THROUGH THAT ANYWAY.

AND LO AND BEHOLD, WHEN YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT ELECTION OUTCOME, YOU DON'T HAVE THE SAME CHALLENGES.

>>LORENE: YES, YES.

WELL, I THINK YOU MADE GREAT STEPS FORWARD WITH THE OPEN PRIMARIES, I THINK THAT'S A REAL POSITIVE THING.

AND THEN THE SAVE ACT AS LONG AS PEOPLE REALIZE WHAT IT IS DOING AND DOESN'T SAVE ANYTHING, IT JUST ADDS SO MUCH, IT SHOULDN'T BE, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE.

SO WE'LL SEE WHERE IT GOES WITH THAT, BUT I THINK IT ALSO MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE FIXED BY OUR LEGISLATURE, DO YOU THINK?

>>MAGGIE: WELL, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION AND I THINK WE ARE ALL AS ELECTION OFFICIALS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN AND I GUESS THE PIECE OF GOOD NEWS I CAN SAY IS THAT IT WOULDN'T REALLY COME INTO EFFECT HERE IN NEW MEXICO UNTIL NEXT JUNE, OUR NEXT PRIMARY, BECAUSE IT AFFECTS FEDERAL ELECTIONS IN SPECIFIC WE DON'T HAVE A FEDERAL ELECTION THIS YEAR, SO WE HAVE SOME TIME TO FIGURE IT OUT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT AND WE'RE GOING TO NEED THE MONEY, THE RESOURCES.

WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO WORK TOGETHER WITH OUR MOTOR VEHICLE DIVISION AND THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND THE LEGISLATURE TO PUT ALL THE PIECES IN PLACE.

SO, WE CAN DO THAT, AND WE HAVE THE TIME, BUT IT'S STILL GOING TO BE A VERY QUICK TURNAROUND TO TRY TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET SOME FEDERAL FUNDING TOO.

>>LORENE: WELL, IF ANYONE CAN DO IT, I THINK YOU CAN, THANK YOU.

I'M JUST SORRY THAT YOU HAD TO DRINK FROM THAT CUP BECAUSE IT'S UNNECESSARY, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DO MOP UP WHERE A BAD IDEA THAT GOT INTO THE SYSTEM SOMEHOW.

>>MAGGIE: THAT'S GOVERNMENT SOMETIMES, LORENE.

>>LORENE: YES IT IS.

I REALLY THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE, OUR GUEST TODAY IS MAGGIE TOULOUSE OLIVER, THE SECRETARY OF STATE SINCE 2016.

YOU'VE DONE A WONDERFUL JOB AS THE CHIEF ELECTIONS OFFICER, THANK YOU FOR KEEPING OUR ELECTION INTEGRITY UP AND THANK YOU FOR COMING ON THE SHOW.

>>MAGGIE: THANK YOU, AS ALWAYS, FOR HAVING ME, HAPPY TO BE HERE.

>>LORENE: AND I THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO AND I'M LORENE MILLS, I THANK YOU OUT THERE FOR WATCHING OUR SHOW.

THIS IS REPORT FROM SANTA FE, AND I'D LOVE TO SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES, AND FROM THE HEALY FOUNDATION, TAOS, NM ♪ MUSIC