In a statement, Oliver said Otero County Commissioners were “calming baseless conspiracy theories and potentially nullifying the votes of every Otero county voter who ran in the by-elections.” On Monday, commissioners – meeting as a county review committee – refused to certify the results after repeatedly asking questions about the counting process. “I have huge concerns with these voting machines,” one commissioner, Vickie Marquardt, said during the meeting. “I really do. I just do not believe in myself that they can not be manipulated.” “I do not trust these machines,” he added. “I want Otero County to have fair elections for everyone.” The machines of domination have been the subject of conspiracy theories since the 2020 elections by people who endorse former President Donald Trump’s lies about electoral fraud. The company has filed several defamation lawsuits. Certification of county primary election results is one of the steps required for candidates to advance to the November general election. In her testimony to the state Supreme Court, Oliver warned that other New Mexico counties may refuse to certify their primary results in the coming days, citing a “national effort to influence other county boards.” “We assume that the other counties will not comply with this provision which jeopardizes the general election ballot for all candidates,” the statement said.
