Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
New Mexico’s Secretary of State last week warned of false information about social media about early voting for the general election.
“We received reports today of a post on Facebook by a local New Mexico group claiming that Gov. Lujan Grisham was planning to shut down polling locations throughout the state on Oct. 15, 2020. This information is completely false,” Maggie Toulouse Oliver stated in a news release Wednesday.
Absentee voting and early in-person voting began at county clerks’ offices, including Quay County, on Oct. 6, with wider early voting locations opening on Oct. 17.
In-person voting would remain available in all 33 counties throughout the entire early voting period and on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, the Secretary of State said.
Toulouse Oliver said said her office informed Facebook about the hoax and is maintaining contacts with major social media platforms, the FBI and other law-enforcement agencies in case others pop up.
“Though it’s unfortunate that only a day after the start of early voting in New Mexico we are already seeing misinformation, it provides a good opportunity to remind the public to be extra vigilant about any voting or election information that does not come from a verified source like your county clerk or my office,” she said.
Quay County residents who have questions about voting should call the county clerk’s office at 575-461-0510.