Section 3-8-39 - Conduct of election; maintenance of order; peace officer; memoranda of actions or omissions. - New Mexico Statutes

3-8-39. Conduct of election; maintenance of order; peace officer; memoranda of actions or omissions.

A.     The election judges shall maintain order within the polling place.   

B.     Crowding or disruption of the voting process shall not be permitted in the polling place.   

C.     Admittance of voters to the polling place shall be controlled and limited to prevent crowding or rushing the precinct board in the performance of its duties.   

D.     The election judges may call upon any state or local law enforcement officer to assist in the maintenance of order in the polling place.  When so requested, the law enforcement officer shall render assistance.   

E.     The election judges may request any state or local law enforcement officer to assist in the conduct of the election by standing outside the polling place entrance and controlling the admission of voters to the polling place.   

F.     Any state or local law enforcement officer may enter a polling place upon request of a precinct board member for the purpose of observing the conduct of the election.   

G.     No state or local law enforcement officer shall interfere in any way with a member of the precinct board, a person voting or the conduct of the election, except to assist in maintaining order and orderly control of access, when requested by an election judge.   

H.     Any state or local law enforcement officer violating Subsection G of this section is guilty of a petty misdemeanor and in addition to any other penalty provided by law shall be subject to dismissal and is ineligible for reinstatement.   

I.     Any member of the precinct board may make written memoranda and preserve them for future reference. The memoranda may concern any action or omission on the part of any person charged with a duty under the Municipal Election Code [Chapter 3, Articles 8 and 9 NMSA 1978].