Republican Party of New Mexico
10/01/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/02/2025 18:27
New Mexico Court Awards $800K in Legal Fees to Voter Reference Foundation — A Win for Transparency
| OCTOBER 1, 2025 - Statement From Chairwoman Amy Barela In a decisive ruling, a federal district court has ordered New Mexico to pay over $800,000 in legal fees to the Voter Reference Foundation (VRF), finding that the state violated the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and engaged in viewpoint discrimination by blocking access to voter roll data."This is a great day for transparency and election integrity. The public has oversight of the voter rolls per the NVRA and the states are preempted from restricting the public's access to the rolls. No government official may engage in viewpoint discrimination which is what occurred in New Mexico when Maggie Toulouse Olivier put her fingers on the scale and attempted to restrict access to voter data which belongs to the people. We are so gratified by the court's decision," said Gina Swoboda, AZGOP Chair and Executive Director of the Voter Reference Foundation.Swoboda's remarks underscore the significance of the court's rebuke of the state's attempt to shield its voter data from public view. The judge deemed VRF's mission "a boon to the public" and held that New Mexico's actions were preempted by the NVRA.New Mexico GOP Chair Amy Barela Comments on Election Integrity DirectionWhile much of the spotlight has focused on the court's ruling and VRF's victory, state Republican Party Chair Amy Barela has weighed in on the larger trajectory of election integrity efforts in New Mexico. As part of her strategic vision, Barela emphasizes strengthening legal infrastructure, transparency, and grassroots monitoring.On her campaign website, Barela outlines that, to ensure election integrity, the New Mexico GOP will:"…establish a comprehensive legal framework for injunctions, including a statewide legal team tasked with election monitoring and protocols for filing injunctions swiftly when irregularities arise. Republican poll workers and watchers will be trained and deployed in every precinct, partnering with county clerks to review election procedures for accuracy and compliance. Transparency will be enhanced by advocating for legislation requiring hand-count audits, open public observation of vote counting, and tracking software to verify ballot chain-of-custody."What This Means Going ForwardThe court's decision sets an important precedent: states cannot unduly restrict public access to voter roll data, especially if those restrictions amount to viewpoint discrimination, which in this case involved suppressing VRF's ability to publish and analyze the roll.For New Mexico, the ruling is a stark rebuke to the policies enacted by Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Olivier and others who tried to criminalize or block dissemination of voter data.Both Swoboda and Barela articulate a pathway toward more robust oversight-through courts, legal tools, local monitoring, and accessible data.The success in New Mexico is likely to influence efforts in other states with restrictive voter roll transparency provisions, as VRF seeks to expand public access in more jurisdictions.Here is the link to the article: https://restoration-news.com/voter-reference-foundation-awarded-800k-in-legal-fees-after-new-mexico###The Republican Party of New Mexico (RPNM) advances the ideals of individual liberties for the advancement of its citizens and the greater prosperity of our communities throughout New Mexico. Led by an Executive Board and its Chairwoman Amy Barela, RPNM serves all New Mexicans via its headquarters in Albuquerque and can be contacted at (505) 298-3662.DONATE TODAY TO ELECT A REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR IN 2026! NM First! |
Republican Party of New Mexico published this content on October 01, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 03, 2025 at 00:27 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]