New Mexico § 1-2-22 - Challengers, watchers and election observers; training; qualifications; restrictions

§ 1-2-22. Challengers, watchers and election observers; training; qualifications; restrictions

A. Before accepting an appointment or entering into service as a challenger or watcher

for an election, a person shall attend a training session in advance of that election. The training shall be provided by the county clerk based on a uniform curriculum

provided by the secretary of state. The county clerk shall offer the training between thirty-six and twenty-nine days

before the election and at least once per week prior to the election through the Thursday

before election day. At the end of the training session, each person in attendance shall sign a form

provided by the secretary of state indicating an understanding of the permitted and

prohibited activities by challengers and watchers. The county clerk shall provide a certificate to each person who completes the training

in advance of an election and shall keep and maintain in the office of the county

clerk a list of those voters who have completed the training in advance of each election. The list shall be available to be viewed in the office of the county clerk at any

time during the regular hours and days of business beginning with the first day following

the first training for an election and concluding with the adjournment of the state

or county canvass board for that election, whichever is later. The training shall be open to any interested person, and the county clerk shall

post notice of each training at least four days before the training is to be held. B. Challengers shall be voters of a precinct located in the county to which the challenger

is appointed. Watchers shall be voters of a precinct in this state. C. A person shall not be qualified for appointment or service as a challenger, watcher

or election observer if the person: (1) is a candidate for any office to be voted for at the election; (2) is a spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, brother or sister of any candidate

to be voted for at the election; (3) is married to a parent, child, brother or sister of any candidate to be voted

for at the election or is the parent of the spouse or domestic partner of any candidate

to be voted for at the election; (4) is a sheriff, deputy sheriff, marshal, deputy marshal or state or municipal police

officer; (5) has accepted an appointment to serve as an election board member in the same election; (6) has been removed from service as a challenger, watcher, election observer or county

canvass observer in the current or immediately preceding election cycle by unanimous

vote of the presiding judge and election judges of an election board for violating

the permitted or prohibited activities of challengers, watchers, election observers

or county canvass observers; provided that the election board detailed with reasonable

specificity the conduct that led to the violation on a form prescribed by the secretary

of state and the form is retained by the county clerk; or (7) for challengers and watchers, has not completed the training and received a certificate

from the county clerk pursuant to Subsection A of this section.