Secretary of State announces Native American voting group

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver announced Friday that she's creating a taskforce focused on increasing voter registration and turnout in tribal communities. Toulouse Oliver says the Native American Voting Taskforce will include members from the Navajo Nation, Jicarilla Apache Nation, Mescalero Apache tribe and Fort Sill Apache tribe, among others. It will be tasked with analyzing tribal community needs and ways that Native Americans can be better informed about elections. The goal is to increase voter education and turnout in Native communities. Toulouse Oliver says Native precincts have the lowest voter turnout. In the 2016 general election, only 56 percent of voters cast a ballot. That figure was 62 percent for overall turnout in New Mexico.