Threats against election officialsare on this rise in the U.S., just before a crucial midterm election that will decide which political party has control of Congress.
Those threats are now pushing New Mexico’s Secretary of State to conduct Tuesday's election “off-site” for safety concerns.
In July, New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said she referred three threatening phone calls made against her to the FBI.
Alex Curtas, spokesperson for the Secretary of State, said these threats are among many others that prompted the change.
“I’ve been here for five years, and this is the first time we’ve gone off-site for an election night,” Curtas said.
Though, Curtas elaborated to say the move is more cautionary and not because of any specific threat to their office, staff, or county clerks.
Toulouse Oliver, a Democrat, is running for reelection in Tuesday’s election against Republican Audrey Trujillo––a known 2020 election denier and conspiracy theorist.
