New Mexico Republicans peddle ‘dangerous’ myth of voter fraud – Business Insider
- The Republican Party of New Mexico is embracing an effort to “decertify” the election results in a state that outgoing President Donald Trump lost by nearly 100,000 votes.
- The party claims it is justified in seeking to disenfranchise New Mexico voters because of unproven “irregularities.”
- There is no evidence of serious voter fraud in New Mexico, much less any that would overcome the gap between Trump and President-elect Joe Biden.
- “These desperate attempts to ignore the results of a legitimate election are not only foolish — they’re dangerous,” New Mexico Democrats said in a statement.
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New Mexico Republicans, unswayed by the disastrous fallout of a pro-Trump insurrection at the US Capitol, are doubling down on baseless allegations of voter fraud in a state that the outgoing president lost by double digits.
In a press release on Thursday, the New Mexico GOP heralded legislation from state Rep. Cathrynn Brown that would disenfranchise the 501,614 voters who handed the state to President-elect Joe Biden over “serious and substantial irregularities” alleged by allies of President Trump, who won less than 402,000 votes.
“We stand by NM Rep. @CathrynnBrown and by President @realDonaldTrump,” the party said on Twitter.
Anissa Tinnin, executive director of the Republican Party of New Mexico, did not respond to Insider’s request for evidence of voter fraud that would justify the move.
There is no evidence of widespread voter or election fraud.
The attempt to discard the results of an election that their party’s nominee lost by over 10% is just the latest evidence of the New Mexico GOP’s accelerated shift to the right.
Over the summer, several New Mexico Republicans, including a leader of the state party, were set to appear at a rally paying “special tribute” to a far-right paramilitary organization led by a neo-Nazi and a Holocaust denier. The state party declined to condemn the event, which was ultimately canceled after the militia itself pulled out, claiming offense at the presence of other right-wing speakers who had made “racist” remarks.
New Mexico Democrats argue their counterparts are fueling extremism.
“Yesterday’s events did not take place in a vacuum, and every politician that takes part in baseless fear mongering about the 2020 election should be held accountable for their role in undermining our democracy,” Marg Elliston, chair of the state party, said in a statement. “These desperate attempts to ignore the results of a legitimate election are not only foolish — they’re dangerous.”
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