More Local Politics

• Red lights, cameras, action: Albuquerque program back on, but so is feud
• New Mexico hopefuls for U.S. Senate tout experience at debate
• Reports: Personal funds help some New Mexico congressional candidates

MOST RECENT TRIB STORIES

• ABQTrib.com to remain available
  08:48 a.m., February 25, 2008
• Congressman is indicted
  08:37 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Series of attacks target Green Zone
  08:36 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Iran is defying U.N., agency says
  08:35 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Waterboarding approval probed
  08:34 a.m., February 23, 2008

TRIB IN THE BLOGOSPHERE*

• Ty Murray Invitational thrills fans in Albuquerque
• Albuquerque Old Town
• Is Rome Burning?
• Ominous Skies
• The Road to Invalidation

*Note: The Tribune does not create and is not responsible for the blogosphere's headlines and stories. These links to blogs talking about ABQTrib.com are automatically generated. Use them at your own risk.

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• Comments
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

SHARE THIS STORY [?]

The Democratic Party of New Mexico is accusing Republicans of providing voters with incorrect information on polling locations in Albuquerque in an effort to cause confusion, but the GOP says the allegations are preposterous.

The Democrats allege they have learned of several instances in which voters have received phone messages providing incorrect polling information from people who identify themselves as workers at GOP headquarters.

The Democratic Party said Sunday "all voters should be warned that false information is being spread in an apparent desperate attempt to win the election through confusing and potentially illegal actions."

The party asked a state district judge for a restraining order Monday that would prevent the GOP from contacting voters who are not registered Republicans, said Matt Farrauto, the party's executive director.

"The Republican Party is either grossly negligent or incompetent in the administration of their field program, their get-out-the vote program. That's a best-case scenario. Worst-case scenario - they are actively seeking to confuse Democratic voters," Farrauto said.

But the Republican Party said it's the Democrats who are using dirty tricks to stop the GOP from encouraging voters to go to the polls Tuesday.

Marta Kramer, executive director of the state GOP, said party volunteers have been on the phone making thousands phone calls and she knew of only one instance in which a voter was initially given incorrect information.

"It was one woman," she said late Sunday. "There were three other people in the voter file with the same name. The volunteer said `Hi' and identified herself and left a phone number. She (the voter) called back and said this is who I am and gave her address, and we gave her the correct information."

Kramer said the allegations are preposterous. "That's outrageous to try to file a junk motion to get us to stop (calling voters)," she said.

Kramer said a judge had already dismissed a previous motion by the Democratic Party, and she described the latest one as "the same last-minute attempt to handcuff the Republicans' get-out-the-vote operation."

Election Day is Tuesday, and both parties pushed hard over the weekend to reach potential voters and encourage them to go to the polls. Democrats used a statewide train tour, while Republicans went door-to-door in some neighborhoods and made phone calls.

Votes in Albuquerque's 1st Congressional District will be especially coveted because Republican incumbent Heather Wilson and Democrat Patricia Madrid, the state attorney general, are in what some consider one of the nation's most hotly contested races.