Election Coverage Resources For NM Journalists

The following information, compiled by the New Mexico Local News Fund and the Election Reformers Network, aims to support accurate and insightful media coverage of New Mexico election matters. This primer focuses particularly on information needed for coverage of close or contested elections.

Most elections are decided by large margins and generate no controversy at all. But close elections happen, and when they do, it is important that voters and candidates can have confidence in the result. Every state has structures to handle close and contested elections. These include procedures to verify the accuracy of results and legal processes that provide candidates or groups of voters the ability to challenge the results in court. It is important for citizens to understand these processes. The existence of election disputes is not itself an indication of any serious problem, particularly when there is acceptance of the legal process by all sides.