Trust in the Election Process

This episode of the Perception Podcast will focus on trust in the election process—a topic that shapes how we view democracy itself.

Our conversation spotlights one of our clients Observe New Mexico Elections. Observe New Mexico Elections is a nonpartisan group working to build confidence through independent election observation across 11 municipalities statewide. The organization’s immediate focus is the 2025 Municipal Election.  It’s long term focus is on confidence in our election process.

Tom Garrity hosts this podcast which includes Carmen Lopez, co-leader of Observe New Mexico Elections, and Kelly Fajardo, a former state representative and member of Observe New Mexico Elections’ advisory committee.

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Tom Garrity, The Garrity Group [00:00:05] Welcome to the Perception Podcast from The Garrity Group, where we help small businesses to be heard and large organizations to be understood. I'm Tom Garrity. Today, we're focusing on trust in the election process, a topic that shapes how we view democracy itself. Our conversation spotlights one of our clients, Observe New Mexico Elections. Observe New Mexico Elections is a nonpartisan group working to build confidence through independent election observation across 11 municipalities statewide. The organization's immediate focus is the 2025 municipal election. Joining the Perception Podcast today, Carmen Lopez, co-leader of Observe New Mexico Elections, and Kelly Fajardo, a former state representative and member of Observe New Mexico Elections Advisory Committee. Welcome both Carmen and Kelly to the Perception Podcast.  

Tom Garrity, The Garrity Group [00:01:02] Carmen, let's start with the big picture. For listeners who may not be familiar, what is Observe New Mexico elections and what inspired its creation?  

Carmen Lopez, ONME Co-Leader [00:01:12] So Observe New Mexico Elections is a nonprofit in New Mexico. We are funded by The Carter Center, the Jimmy and Roslyn Carter Center in Atlanta. And we're concerned about the increase in both political polarization and the decline in trust and election outcomes. And so our goal is to increase people's knowledge level about elections, the transparency of elections, and as a result, to increase the public's level of trust in New Mexico's elections. And we do that by providing in-depth training about election law and process to hundreds of New Mexicans each year and supporting nonpartisan observers to watch elections throughout the entire state during the voting process and then throughout all the various election processes. And then we compile all that data into a final report that we share with the public. And we're led by an amazing board of high profile, accomplished people from across the political spectrum who care deeply about well-run elections and people's trust in election outcomes. Our board is led by former Governor Gary Carruthers, former Justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court, Barbara Vihel, Ryan Cangiolosi, who is the chair of the Republican Party, Maureen Sanders, who's a civil rights attorney, and Kelly Fajardo, who's a former representative, and Leonard Gorman from the Navajo Nations Civil Rights Division. 

Tom Garrity, The Garrity Group [00:02:39] It's a it's a great board, including Kelly Fajardo. And Kelly, from your perspective as a former state legislator and current lobbyist, why did you decide to join Observe New Mexico Elections Advisory Committee? And what makes the initiative important to you? 

Kelly Fajardo, ONME Advisory Committee [00:02:55] I joined because of personal experience. So when I first started when I first ran for office back in 2012, there was a lot of distrust of the election process. A lot of it continues today. And back in the day down in Valencia County, me and my colleagues, we decided to put poll watchers into the different polls around the cou