Dear Senator Heinrich:
Thank you for your response. With all due respect, sir, I have a totally different opinion of the new and improved voting regulations, which in my opinion are heading in the totally wrong direction. I was very pleased the Poll Worker Intimidation Bill was not passed during the most recent New Mexico Legislative Session. I am one of those folks who continues to believe what she sees with her own eyes instead of what she is told.
I was a poll worker in Dona Ana County for almost twenty years until the legislation was passed to allow the Clerk to select poll workers instead of the county parties submitting lists of approved poll workers from which she could chose. When I was no longer being called to work the polls, despite no complaints about my job performance, I volunteered as an Early and Absentee Challenger, in 2020, along with my husband, and two other gentlemen.
When we attempted to do our due diligence and respectfully asked to be allowed to view the seals, serial numbers and totals on the voting machines at the DAC BOE Warehouse in Las Cruces, we were escorted out by the Sheriff of Dona Ana County, a Dona Ana County Deputy, and the Deputy Clerk of Dona Ana County, which the County’s security camera plainly to this day shows.
In spite of this unconstitutional and illegal treatment, I was back every day to observe the goings-on there until the election totally wrapped, I believe in early December 2020.
As long as I have breath in my body, I will do everything legally, constitutionally, and morally to see that our state has free and fair elections, and I would ask you do the same.
Sincerely,Lisa F. Parrott,Your Constituent
2494 Cherokee CircleLas Cruces, NM [email protected]
P.S.: That same election, the Las Cruces Sun-News did a how-to video about early voting with the DAC Deputy Clerk, Lindsey Bachman. Interestingly, our County Clerk, Amanda Lopez Askin, herself on that same early ballot, was pictured in the opening scene of the LCSN video, which began outside of the DAC Government Center, as she sat at the table containing the Absentee Return Box, with mask and sunglasses, wearing her County ID badge, clearly inside of the 100’ restricted area. The last time I looked, that film was still in the public domain as well.
Sent from my iPhone
On Mar 1, 2022, at 9:48 AM, Office of Senator Martin Heinrich <[email protected]> wrote:
March 1, 2022
Dear Ms. Parrott,
Our most important right is the right to vote. New Mexico is a great example of what it looks like to enhance rather than attack participation in our democracy. I am proud of the ways that elections officials in our state have stepped up in recent years to make voting safer, more secure, and much more accessible for every New Mexican. Our state has seen greater participation in our elections as a result. Meanwhile, we are seeing the polar opposite as Arizona, Texas, Georgia, and sixteen other states have passed restrictive voting laws just in the past year.
To address this urgent situation, Majority Leader Schumer brought H.R. 5746, the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, up for debate on January 19, 2022. This legislation would significantly overhaul laws governing campaign finance, voting rights, congressional redistricting, and government ethics to promote access, transparency, and integrity in our political system. It would also restore and modernize the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and provide the federal government with other critical tools to combat what has become a full-fledged assault on Americans’ right to vote.
Unfortunately, on January 19, 2022, Senate Republicans used the filibuster to block a vote on the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act. This was the latest of several filibusters used by Senate Republicans to block us from voting on voting rights legislation. This type of opposition and obstructionism, rather than accountability and deliberation, have become far too common in Washington. And, too often in our nation’s history, the filibuster has been used to block our country’s continued march toward equality.
We have the opportunity to make real, lasting change in our country. But that change will not come if the filibuster is continually abused in the Senate. The filibuster should be abolished or, at the very least, reformed to force senators to physically hold the floor to extend debate. I will continue to do everything I can to ensure that Congress finds a way to mitigate persistent voter discrimination, and I will continue to support legislation that removes unnecessary barriers to voting in our country.
Thank you for writing to me on this important issue. Your experiences, ideas, thoughts, and concerns inform my work and decisions. I hope you will write me again on any other issues that are important to you.
Sign-up to receive email updates for the latest news on issues important to you.
Sincerely,
MARTIN HEINRICH
United States Senator
…
