Absenteeism in governance

There have been a number of elected officials and candidates bow out of their positions or races lately, predominantly Democrats. Examples include Joanne Ferrary, who I’ve previously written about in detail; House District 4, held currently by Joseph Hernandez; House District 23 candidate Elise Falanga Taylor; and the Lieutenant Governor nomination won by Maggie Toulouse Oliver.

In Oliver’s case, she bowed out of the race only a few days after the Democratic primary which made her the nominee. The party then selected her replacement, who will be considered by voters as the second-in-charge of the state.

In Ferrary’s case, as a recap, the Dona Ana County Commission will decide (at their regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8) on her immediate replacement in the seat and are considering the current Democrat nominee, handing that person an incumbency and name recognition on the ballot.

Most notably, for the House District seats, both of those candidates have bowed out of their races after the critical date of 90 days before the election. This 90-day window means that candidates cannot be replaced on the ballot within this period, per state law enacted by the NM Legislature in Senate Bill (SB) 180, passed in 2023. This bill lengthened the duration from 70 days prior to the election to 90 days prior to the election.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not bringing light to this because all of these candidates happen to be Democrats. While I try not to wade into national politics, I find Mitch McConnell’s prolonged absence from his elected duties to be unacceptable. As do I find egregious that Dianne Feinstein was rolled out to cast a vote on what would end up being the morning of her death later that same day.

Lindsey Graham’s replacement, his sister, may have been helped to earn the recent nomination in the special Republican primary race, but at least that was a people’s election decision, and she was not a candidate at the time of her appointment by the governor in that state.

Our elections require transparency, and strict rules that limit any perception of impropriety. As it relates to New Mexico, the processes in place must be adhered to and fairness must supersede convenience.

And this is why I will once again advocate for voter education. If you are going to the ballot box without a clue about who is in favor of what, you are part of the problem. If you vote on name recognition alone, you aren’t doing it right. Local elections are the ones that affect our daily lives, much more so than national elections that get all the screen time.

The state manages a website where you can review a sample ballot, tailored specifically for your district that you can review who you will be voting for and do some research on their voting records, backgrounds and affiliations. Visit NMVote.gov to find the link to your sample ballot and other relevant election information.

Additionally, candidate forums are being held right now! Keep watch on social media and around town for notifications about times and places for specific district races. These are extremely informational and usually include a means for the audience members to submit questions for the candidates to answer. Engage with candidates afterward for follow-up discussions.

Bottom line, actively participate in elections and hold representatives accountable for fairness and transparency. Voting is a privilege, hard-fought for by our predecessors in this country. Honor that privilege by making an informed choice.

Shawna Pfeiffer is a life-long Dona Ana County Resident, graduate of NMSU, small business owner, hobby farmer, dog-lover, outdoor enthusiast and mother to two young children. She can be reached at srpfeiffer1@gmail.com.