To make it easy, below is a pre-written email and the addresses to send it to. Follow these steps:
1) Open/Compose a NEW Email
2) Copy and paste the following recipient addresses into the TO: field of your email.
Secretary@state.nm.us, SOS.elections@state.nm.us, State@state.nm.us, JEAbrams@edgewood-nm.gov, SAbraham@edgewood-nm.gov, LHolle@edgewood-nm.gov, AJaramillo@edgewood-nm.gov, EdgewoodCORE.NM@gmail.com
3) Then, Copy and paste the full Message from below into your email
4) Include your Name and Address at: FROM: and ADDRESS:
5) Lastly, Send your email.
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Message:
FROM:
ADDRESS:
TO: Maggie Toulouse Oliver, New Mexico Secretary of State
Edgewood is a small town of approximately 6,100 current residents. As a community of fewer than 10,000 residents, under New Mexico Statutes we are entitled to vote At-Large in municipal elections in order to elect five (5) commissioners.
Since incorporation in 1999, Edgewood voters have always voted At-Large in municipal elections. I ask you to maintain our right to vote At-Large in Edgewood municipal elections until such time as the town population is documented by census records to actually exceed the 10,000-resident threshold. At the town’s typical current growth rate, that event is not likely to occur until after the 2030 census.
In 2020, our community elected to change our form of government to Commission-Manager with an historic 70% of electors choosing that change, and with an election turnout three times the town’s norm. Edgewood voters are tired of the corruption that has beset our town and want to see a return to open and honest government.
In New Mexico, there are four (4) municipalities similar in size to Edgewood that have been operating under Commission-Manager form of government. Three of those four utilize the At-Large voting process (Aztec, Raton, Truth or Consequences) and see reasonable voter engagement. The fourth community, Tucumcari, votes by single member district and routinely sees low voter turnout.
Limiting voters’ rights is never optimal and under New Mexico Statutes is not required at Edgewood’s current population level of 6,100. The vast majority of residents have repeatedly said they prefer maintaining At-Large voting. This was a strong concern during the 2020 special election, and again recently at an Edgewood Public Forum where more than 80 people attended in-person and no one supported limiting voters to single member district or the notion of one vote for a five-member commission. In fact, limiting voting to single member districts could be viewed as an effort to obstruct voters’ rights.
There is no legal requirement to change our voting process, NMSA 3-14-6A states, “…provided that the governing body of a municipality having a population of ten thousand of less may provide for single-member districts as provided in this section.” This statute does not require any change, nor do residents want a change.
I appreciate your thoughtful consideration and request that you protect Edgewood residents’ At-Large voting rights under New Mexico state law.
