New Mexico ethics commission alleges elections official deleted, mishandled midterm ballots

A New Mexico ethics fee accused a neighborhood elections official of deleting and mishandling midterm ballots, together with different misconduct, in a criticism filed on Tuesday.

In accordance with the state ethics fee, Torrance County Clerk Yvonne Otero “dramatically failed” to adjust to authorities conduct legal guidelines, utilizing her elected workplace for “her personal private profit and to pursue private pursuits.” 

Otero allegedly deleted a major variety of unopened and unread emails in October 2022, together with two ballots that have been forged electronically through the Uniformed and Abroad Residents Absentee Voters Act. 

The emails additionally included info from the New Mexico Secretary of State about procedures and timelines for the then-upcoming 2022 midterm election.

Otero additionally reportedly pre-signed certifications for 22 poll tabulators with none inspection as a result of she was going to be on trip in Las Vegas, Nev., throughout the inspections.

She appeared to threaten an worker who questioned a timesheet ready by her mom, who was working as a presiding choose for absentee ballots in late spring 2022, with Otero reminding the worker that she signed off on their timesheets.

Otero additionally allegedly solicited narcotic medicine from a subordinate worker and made a number of references to utilizing medicine, held intimate engagements in her workplace throughout work hours, discharged a taser beside the top of an worker as a “joke,” and gave her brother a Torrance County laptop computer for private use.