Tripp proposes amending Act for mail-in voting
State Rep. Don Tripp wants to change the law to allow members of rural electric cooperatives to cast votes by proxy or mail.
Tripp told the Socorro Electric Cooperative board of trustees at its meeting on Monday that he plans to introduce a bill that would amend the Rural Electric Cooperative Act early in the legislative session next year.
Currently state law doesn’t allow mail-in voting to be conducted at the district level. Member-owners of Socorro Electric passed a new bylaw at the annual meeting in April that would allow for mail-in voting.
“What this would do is realign state law where it matches the bylaw,” Tripp said.
Tripp said he thought people shouldn’t be prevented from voting if they should happen to be out of town or otherwise unable to attend meetings at which issues are decided.
Tripp provided the board with a draft of his proposal, which would amend Section 62-15-10 of the act dealing with voting districts. The proposal would strike some wording and replace it with language that conforms with the bylaw passed in Socorro. It would also add a paragraph reading, “Voting by members at voting district meetings shall be in person, unless otherwise provided in the bylaws. The bylaws shall prescribe the conditions under which voting by proxy or mail shall be exercised.”
Tripp said he expected the bill to be met with opposition. The vast majority of co-ops don’t have mail-in voting and it might be difficult to get them to agree to a new provision that expands the scope for something most co-ops don’t allow.
“I’m just trying to get state government out of the way,” Tripp said.
Keven Groenewold, executive vice president for the New Mexico Rural Electric Cooperative Association, also spoke in support of the proposed legislation.
“Right now there’s a prohibition for voting by mail,” he said, adding that concerns he’s heard include cost and the threat of fraud. “Where we’re at right now, we’re trying to work with Rep. Tripp to try to come up with one that works for everyone.”
Trustees discussed the pros and cons of mail-in voting. Donald Wolberg questioned what constitutes a vote by mail. Did that mean U.S. mail, or would e-mail be an option?
Trustee Charlie Wagner said he was in favor of e-mail as a means of casting votes. He also provided board members, Tripp and Groenewold with materials from two companies that provide services for conducting elections. Wagner said the firms could administer elections that allow for mail-in voting at a cheaper cost than the co-op currently spends on elections.
Co-op attorney Dennis Francish said he reviewed the draft and he found no flaws.
“It looks very good. It will do what you want,” he said.
Tripp said he planned to introduce the bill early in the session and he expected it would immediately be assigned to two committees.
Redistricting Dilemma
On another matter relating to a newly passed bylaw, the board discussed a redistricting plan that aims to divide the co-op’s service area to five equally sized districts.
Wolberg serves as chairman of the redistricting committee and presented a revised version of a plan he unveiled in June.
Wolberg said there were “unexpected consequences” to the initial model that was based on population.
“There was 13,000 meters, but less than 10,000 members,” he said, adding that neither the meters or the members were evenly distributed.
Wolberg said the problem with redistricting was that they were working with area that was larger than nine states.
“There’s no easy way to do this,” he said.
Wagner said an easier way would be to allow one of the companies he talked about that offered the election services to conduct the survey and draw the district boundaries.
“Both of these companies claim to do exactly what you guys are breaking your necks to do,” he said.
But that idea was shot down.
“The redistricting committee put a lot of time and effort into trying to save money,” trustee Leroy Anaya said.
Trustee Dave Wade was also concerned about how much it would cost to have an outside firm do the survey.
“What Charlie is doing is probably well and good, but he didn’t mention money,” he said.
Wolberg finished by saying that whatever plan for redistricting they came up with would still have to be approved by members at the annual meeting.
“The board can’t determine this. The members have to approve it,” he said.
In Other Business
• During his manager’s report, Richard Lopez, the co-op’s interim general manager, said the co-op’s margins were on the positive side last month. He said there was still a way to go to keep the co-op from defaulting on its USDA loans.
Lopez said there’s been a greater emphasis placed on collections lately. A collection service utilized by the co-op was able to collect $8,000 last month. He also noted that the 90-day delinquent bills had been reduced by $42,000.
The board approved a $1,925 expenditure to install a mechanism that would allow the front door at the co-op’s business office to open automatically to accommodate the handicapped. That cost does not include electrical work.
• The board approved a resolution that would allow the co-op to refinance loans it’s taken from USDA Rural Utilities Services through Cooperative Finance Corp. The refinancing is at a fixed rate and is to be paid off over 23 years.
• During the public comment portion of the meeting, the board was awarded a plaque and jersey from the Belen Eagles Mighty Mites YAFL football team in appreciation for a $250 donation the co-op made to the team.
James Lucero of Veguita, who coaches the team, presented the gifts along with his son Christopher.
James Lucero said the donation allowed two players that couldn’t afford the fees to participate this past season.
“You didn’t just help these two kids,” he said, “you helped my team.”
Lucero promised that he’d be back next June to request another donation.
• The board set the next meeting for 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 22.
Contact T.S. Last