For the June 6 New Mexico primary elections, SFR will call up candidates in the CONTESTED races to test their knowledge. The rules for Pop Quiz are as follows: No research allowed and if they call back later with the right answer, too bad. To see who answered correctly (or came closest), check out our answer key below.
Questions:
1. Why are federal elections held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November?
2. What is the order of succession if the governor should die, become incapacitated or is unable to finish his term of office?
3. In 1993, the state Governmental Ethics Act was passed, which requires the secretary of state to oversee state ethics issues. Give three examples of ethics issues the secretary of state now has oversight of.
4. What is the primary purpose or purposes of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), and what prompted the law's passage by Congress?
Answers:
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Stephanie Gonzales, 55, is a former director of the Child Support Enforcement Division in the state Human Services Department and former secretary of state.
1. Why are they held on Tuesday? Goodness, I'd have to research federal law.
2. Um, the first in succession would be lieutenant governor. Next I believe would be secretary of state. Then, I believe state auditor, state treasurer and attorney general.
3. It oversees the reporting of elected officials. It also oversees these reports, which are filed in a timely fashion. If not, there are penalties imposed. There are also additional lobbyist reports due.
4. HAVA is to assist voters in every capacity, for disabled voters, for those with language barriers. And states are to assist in every way possible. I think it was passed because of all the discrepancies in Florida. Some of the same problems happened in Ohio.
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Mary Herrera, 49, is currently the Bernalillo County clerk.
1. It's even years. It has been approved at the state level.
2. Lieutenant governor would take over. If, for some reason she needs to leave town, then the secretary of state would take over.
3. Financial statements, campaign reporting, and um, qualifying for running, declaration of candidacies. Those all have to be passed through ethics. Filing your financial reports too. You have to apply by the rules and meet the deadline.
4. It happened after the Florida election. Congress allotted funding to the states so they could make accessibility easier and a right for voters.
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Shirley Hooper, 70, is on leave of absence as chief deputy clerk for the Santa Fe County Clerk's Office. She is a former secretary of state.
1. Because it's set by statute.
2. The lieutenant governor becomes governor until a new governor is qualified by election. If he or she is incapacitated, then the secretary of state becomes governor. If the secretary of state cannot serve, than the president pro tem of the senate becomes governor. And if the president cannot serve, god forbid, than the speaker of the house serves.
3. Uh, campaign reporting. They do financial statements of, uh, candidates, and uh, cabinet officials and legislative council members. And that's kept confidential in the Secretary of State's Office.
4. It, in my own words, gives more people the opportunity to vote and makes it easier to vote. Uh, well, that sounds all right. Does that sound all right, pumpkin? That all precincts have disabled standards for voting machines to make it easier to vote.
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Letitia Montoya, 43, is chief operations officer of Assure Financial Group.
1. I'm writing these down. Hold on one second. OK. Is it Election Day? OK, uh. No one brought this up to me. Um, hold on, I'm going to get my calendar real fast. It was mandated by Congress, and it related to crops being harvested in November, I think. Back in the 1800s.
2. Lieutenant governor. It's kinda like what happened with Eric Serna and Tom Udall. Back then the Democratic party had to figure out who they wanted to replace. From what I can see, it would have to be a special session to replace lieutenant governor.
3. You're talking about different, uh, acts for the secretary of state. One would probably be a lobbyist. Uh, lemme, think. Uh, gimme a second. I'm sorry… Today's just…I think it was just campaigning reports.
4. The HAVA Act, what it is, they have a group of committees they formed. I can't even tell you how long ago. They oversee situations that may occur. We have to change our voting machines so people with disabilities can vote. Give them access. When it comes down to mandating it, each county has a certain amount of time to implement it. Man, just read some stuff on this. Just gimme a second to gather my thoughts. OK, I don't really know why they passed it, but I'll take an educated guess. I would say in order to fix problems after the 2000 election.
SFR Key
1. According to the US Election Assistance Commission, November has historically been the most convenient month for farmers and rural workers to travel to the polls. Since most rural residents used to travel a long distance to vote, and would presumably start their travels Sunday after church, Tuesday was considered a more reasonable voting day than Monday. Congress designated the Tuesday after the first Monday because they were afraid that All Saints day, a Catholic holiday that falls on Nov. 1, would keep people from the polls. Merchants also did their books from the preceding month on Nov. 1, and Congress worried that the economic success or failure of October would influence poll turnout.
2. The order of succession is as follows: governor; lieutenant governor; secretary of state; president pro tem of the senate; and speaker of the house.
3. The act requires the Secretary of State's Office to oversee state government ethics issues, such as regulating lobbyist activity, the reporting of finances by political action committees and the reporting of campaign finances by candidates.
4. To establish a program to provide funds to states to replace punch card voting systems; to establish the Election Assistance Commission; to help disabled voters and language-minority voters; and to establish minimum standards of election administration for state and local governments. The contested presidential election of 2000, the desire to balance voter access with other election improvements and the need to create uniform voter guidelines are among the reasons HAVA was created.
