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Officials Press For Secret Ballot Protections

By KRWG News

New Mexico – County elections officials say a proposal by the secretary of state's office will fail to protect the secret ballot in New Mexico.

Bernalillo, Santa Fe and Los Alamos county election officials testified Wednesday against a proposed rule to no longer allow public access to the voter roster after Election Day in precincts where there's a risk of compromising ballot secrecy.

It's possible to identify voters and determine which candidates they supported in precincts where only a few people cast ballots.

A voter's identity can be determined by comparing the canvass of election results to a roster of who voted.

County officials suggested an alternative approach of combining election returns in the canvass when fewer than 10 people cast ballots in a precinct.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.