The ABQ Accent | Ep 22 - Maggie Toulouse Oliver

Secretary of State, Maggie Toulouse Oliver Leading with dedication, integrity, and a sense of humor, Madam Secretary has seen it all. She has been overseeing election administration statewide since 2016 and deeply understands the importance of being an engaged citizen.Reaching multiple generations of voters requires a range of outreach initiatives, for which she partners with 33 County Clerks across NM. The recent MIT Election Performance Index reports that NM currently holds the best election policies (nationwide!) for secure, accessible, efficient, and informative processes. Secretary Toulouse Oliver says, “this is like winning an Oscar… and there’s always more work to do to continue honing it in.”Our conversation ranged from the fact that early voting is already seeing a record turnout, to understanding what it takes to emphasize voter experience as a priority, to the lengths NM officials will go to ensure that victims of domestic violence can safely participate in our democratic processes (see Safe at Home). Madam Secretary took the time to give credit where it is due her colleagues, and highlights election officials in Roswell in particular, a city which is dealing with a recent flood but keeping the voting locations open. She also reminds us that polling volunteers are an all-parties set of folks, taking time to ensure voter experience in NM continues to be top tier. She shared that age-old election myths are debunked via Trusted Information 2024, and also that citizens can utilize our County Clerk’s office if we have questions about the process. Madam Secretary wants voters to take time to look at your sample ballot and make a plan to vote early (anywhere  in your county) - avoid the lines. Election day is the last chance to vote! She also reminds us to believe in the power of our vote! It is no simple thing. You can still register to vote at any polling location in your county.November 5th is around the corner! Sos.nm.gov is an “encyclopedia” and worth the look.Nmvote.org – voter information portalMIT report: https://elections.mit.edu/#/data/rank