- NM Executive branch of government continues to tighten restrictions around land use in New Mexico.
- Local small business owner decides to run as an Independent, then as write-in candidate for Public Land Commissioner.
- NM Supreme Court denies submitted writ of mandamus and emergency temporary restraining order against use of Dominion tabulating machines in general election.
In past 4 years, the progressive New Mexican executive branch continues to tighten regulations around land use in New Mexico, which affects ranchers, farmers, and oil and gas producers, especially small business owners.
The agenda is being used by state government to gain Power, Profit and Control for the Elites by centralizing land use and ownership in the hands of the elites.
Larry Marker is a small oil producer in Roswell, NM. Concerned for the future of ranchers and small business owners in our state, he decided to run for Public Land Commissioner as a Republican.
The state Republican Party refused to support his candidacy as they had already handpicked who they wanted to run for office (Selections, not Elections).
Larry Marker conducted a nominating petition drive to get on the ballot as an independent candidate.
The New Mexico Secretary of State, Maggie Toulouse-Oliver, has complete discretion on requirements for getting on the ballot and required 14,400 verified signatures to be printed on the general ballot.
Although almost 16,000 signatures were obtained, less than 10,000 were verifiable. They names had to be written exactly as they appeared on voter registration.
Once the effort to become an independent candidate failed, Mr. Marker decided to switch tactics and run as a write-in candidate for Public Land Commissioner.
A write-in candidacy in New Mexico offers several advantages to the candidate. Larry Marker was confident that he could get many votes from citizens concerned with election integrity.
The write-in ballots are more forgiving on acceptable responses than verified signature requirements. Write-in ballots are segregated by the Dominion tabulators into separate receptacles in the machines.
These ballots must be taken out, put in envelopes, hand counted, and labeled on tapes. The absentee board is supposed to count and adjudicate these ballots.
On September 20, Mr. Marker filed a petition writ of mandamus and requested a temporary restraining order with the NM Supreme Court to remove the Dominion machines from use in the general election.
The basis of the argument was that the machines limited the ability of write-in candidates to receive sufficient votes.
The segregated drawers for write-in votes are limited to 150 votes. Once this limit is reached, the election workers are supposed to remove the ballots from the drawers to process.
However, this is not possible because the machines are sealed until the election is completed.
One week before the election, the NM Supreme Court denied the writ and the temporary restraining order and provided no explanation for their denial and stated that Larry Marker did not prove his case without prejudice.
Larry Marker earned less than 1% of the vote, but he’s not done yet!
