NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver on Monday addressed misinformation that’s circulating online about how the Democratic nominee will appear on the general election ballot in November.
Social media posts with misinformation began appearing after President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he would not seek reelection, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
“Some of this misinformation is claiming that his name [Joe Biden] can’t be replaced on the ballot or things like that, or that the ballot deadline in New Mexico has passed,” said Alex Curtas, communications director for the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office.
The Secretary of State’s Office shut down those claims in a news release, which read, in part:
“Let me set the record straight: The ballot deadline has not passed in New Mexico. New Mexico follows major party rules for the selection of presidential candidates and, as long as they meet the ballot deadline of August 27, 2024, whoever is nominated for president at the upcoming Democratic Convention will appear on New Mexico’s General Election ballot. I encourage voters to always seek out trusted sources of election information, like their county clerk or the Secretary of State’s office, and to verify information about voting and elections before repeating or reposting it.”
Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver
Since Biden decided to drop out of the 2024 race, his campaign will need to file a notarized statement of withdrawal as a candidate to the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office before August 27. As of Monday afternoon, “that has not happened yet,” according to Curtas.
Curtas reassured voters that presidential candidates will appear on the ballot come Nov. 5.
“For the average voter, they’re still going to see a Democratic nominee, Republican nominee, some other nominees for president, on their ballot, and really this process doesn’t impact us as voters. It’s really just a process for the political parties and for election administrators,” Curtas explained.
As for what to expect on the ballot, Republican delegates nominated Donald Trump for president at the Republican National Convention last week in Milwaukee. On the Democratic side, delegates will vote for a presidential nominee at the Democratic National Convention, which is set to take place Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.
The Associated Press reported on Monday that more than 1,150 pledged delegates have told the AP or announced that they plan to support Vice President Kamala Harris at the convention, which is more than half of the pledged delegates she needs to secure the nomination for president.
