Republican Party of New Mexico
12/19/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/19/2025 13:05
Chairwoman Amy Barela’s Statement on Rank Choice Voting
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IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 19, 2025 Chairwoman Amy Barela's Statement on Rank Choice Voting I write today to express my strong opposition to any proposal to adopt Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in New Mexico. While proponents of this initiative claim it will transform our election policies "toward a fairer, more inclusive democracy that works for all New Mexicans," the substantial risks, confusion, and potential harm posed by RCV demonstrate that this system is not in the best interests of our state, our voters, or the integrity of our democratic process. The research compiled by opponents of RCV clearly shows that this voting method: 1. Makes Voting Harder for Voters Ranked choice ballots require voters to evaluate and rank multiple candidates instead of simply choosing the one they support most. This increases complexity, especially for voters with limited time, access to information, or familiarity with all candidates on the ballot. Instead of empowering everyday citizens, RCV disproportionately benefits politically savvy elites and burdens many with a confusing, longer ballot that can lead to errors and the disqualification of votes. (Stop RCV) 2. Places New Burdens on Election Administrators and Costs on Taxpayers Administering RCV elections requires expensive equipment upgrades and extensive retraining for election staff. Ballots take longer to process, and the counting process cannot begin until every ballot is scanned, potentially delaying results for weeks. For example, in Alaska, final tabulation under RCV has taken up to 15 days after Election Day to complete. (Stop RCV) 3. Destroys Transparency and Weakens Accountability Unlike traditional elections, which can often be verified quickly and recounted by hand if necessary, RCV's multiple rounds of computational tabulation are opaque and difficult for the public-or even election officials-to audit. Past RCV elections in other states have experienced errors that went undetected until after winners were certified, undermining voter confidence. (Stop RCV) 4. Undermines Voter Confidence and the Electoral Process Itself The system's complexity-from multi-round elimination to preference transfers-makes recounts nearly impossible in close contests and can lead to widely different outcomes than voters expect. RCV also increases the opportunities for ballots to be miscounted, misinterpreted, or inadvertently discarded, all of which weaken faith in our electoral outcomes. (Stop RCV) For these reasons, I urge our lawmakers and community leaders to reject any movement to implement Ranked Choice Voting in New Mexico. Rather than embracing an unproven and problematic system that invites confusion, delays, and decreased transparency, we should instead seek reforms that truly strengthen voter participation, safeguard election integrity, and ensure that every voice is heard clearly and fairly. New Mexico deserves solutions that build confidence in our elections-not systems that risk undermining the very foundations of our democratic process. ***If you voted in Las Cruces or Santa Fe this last election and were confused about Rank Choice Voting, we want to hear from you! Sincerely, Amy Barela Chairwoman of the Republican Party of New Mexico ### |
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