Section 3-8-76 - Offering a bribe; accepting a bribe; intimidation; penalty. - New Mexico Statutes

3-8-76. Offering a bribe; accepting a bribe; intimidation; penalty.

A.     Offering a bribe consists of willfully offering, advancing, paying or causing to be paid or promising, directly or indirectly, any money, other valuable consideration, office or employment to any person for any of the following purposes connected with or incidental to any election:   

(1)     to induce such person to vote or refrain from voting for or against any candidate or question;   

(2)     to induce such person, if a precinct board member, municipal clerk or other election official, to mark, alter, withhold or otherwise change or falsify any ballot or vote that has been cast, any election return, any certificate of election or any other election document; or   

(3)     to induce such person to use such payment or promise to bribe others for the purposes specified in this section.   

B.     A person who offers a bribe is guilty of a fourth degree felony.   

C.     Accepting a bribe consists of knowingly accepting any payment or promise of payment, directly or indirectly, of money, other valuable consideration, office or employment for the unlawful purposes specified in Subsection A of this section.   

D.     A person who accepts a bribe is guilty of a fourth degree felony.   

E.     Intimidation consists of any person, including but not limited to any elected or appointed municipal official or employee, inducing or attempting to induce fear by use of or threatened use of force, violence, infliction of damage, harm or loss to any person or property or any form of economic retaliation upon any person voting or intending to vote, precinct board member, challenger, watcher or municipal clerk to impede or prevent the free, fair and secret exercise of the elective franchise or the impartial and legally correct administration of the election pursuant to the Municipal Election Code [Chapter 3, Articles 8 and 9 NMSA 1978].   

F.     A person who commits intimidation is guilty of a fourth degree felony.