NM Secretary of State Responds to Supreme Court Ruling on Allowing Pot Questions on Ballots

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 FGGAM News just received this news release from New Mexico Secretary of State Dianna Duran: duran-dianna

“I am not going to make up a law that doesn’t exist just to satisfy politicians.”

“Some may decide to do that, but I am not going to do that.”

 

–Dianna Duran, Secretary of State

SANTA FE—The Office of the Secretary of State (SOS) today expressed disappointment in an order entered by a Supreme Court panel today to put poll questions on the Bernalillo and Santa Fe County general election ballots.

“I am disappointed in this order,” said Secretary of State Dianna Duran, “we of course will comply with this order, but what it means is that Bernalillo County voters will be using a ballot printed in tiny 7-point font, just so people can be presented with a meaningless public opinion poll.”

A makeshift panel of three judges quickly assembled in the Supreme Court building today to enter an order.

The attorney for the Secretary of State argued that if the Election Code means anything, it must mean that the only questions that can be placed on the ballot are those that are legally permitted by law. That prompted a disturbing response from a justice, who said: “It doesn’t say only those questions permitted under the law or by the Constitution.” This baffling statement led to the conclusion the court believes that unlawful questions can be placed on the ballot.

Duran reiterated a point she had made earlier: “It had been my prayer that the court would follow the law and not yield to partisan pressure. The reason I take a comprehensive, very detailed view of the Election Code on these kinds of questions is that decisions like this have ramifications that will last forever. Good luck putting the public opinion poll genie back in the bottle.”

Duran also expressed sadness that two counties have set the example of knocking serious issues off the ballot just so that politicians can play with the ballot and play with the voters. Now the court has okayed that.

More here:

NM Supreme Court Rules Pot Advisory Questions Allowed on Ballots

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