Before this fall’s big vote-early/vote-in-person effort gets wholly underway, here’s a report on the Free and Fair Election NM26 team’s workshop in Truth or Consequences, held August 29, 2026. Hosted by Rural Indivisible New Mexico and Land of Action, over thirty attendees gathered at The Charles Motel. Multiple New Mexico communities were represented, including Truth or Consequences and wider Sierra County, Las Cruces, Silver City, Abiquiu, Española, Cochiti Lake, and Santa Fe. The T or C community gave a warm welcome. Local volunteers even prepared and served lunch!
Left to right, Dimid Hayes, Phil Factor, Heidi Li Feldman
The founder of Rural Indivisible New Mexico (RINM), Dimid Hayes, opened the proceedings. He introduced some of the area notables who were in attendance, including people active in the area’s Democratic Party, a former Truth or Consequences mayor, and a former Sierra County Commissioner. Dimid explained a bit about the history of cross-state Indivisible gatherings in New Mexico and the way the Indivisible groups in RINM support each other. He also explained how the Free and Fair Elections NM26 (FFE NM26) campaign emerged from a kitchen conversation among several grassroots progressive activists in May to a collaboration among a team spanning Taos to Jemez Springs to Las Cruces.
Phil Factor (aka Phil Factor Objector), leader of Abiquiu-Youngsville Indivisible, spoke about vital importance of massive turnout to the polls this year, putting our own effort in the context of the existential fight for democracy our country now faces. Abiquiu-Youngsville Indivisible members have been registering voters, planning an October 6 early voting kickoff party, organizing a Land of Action election-watching team, and publicizing FFE NM26 voter information materials in the local papers. As Phil spoke, people around the room started nodding eagerly, clearly inspired and motivated by the concrete examples of election activism.
Networking, dining, listening.
Next, led by Land of Action founder Heidi Li Feldman, the group took a deeper dive into New Mexico’s vital role in promoting, protecting, and improving American democracy, particularly in the Southwest. Heidi emphasized the need to make voters feel comfortable, confident, and protected by the community as they go to cast their 2026 ballots. She discussed the Trump administration’s unconstitutional and ongoing effort to take over vote-from-home, and what this means for New Mexico voters. According to Heidi, we must urge people to vote in-person rather than rely on receiving their ballots in the mail. If people do obtain absentee ballots, they certainly should not count on USPS to send them back; instead, completed ballots should be returned by hand to drop boxes and polling locations. Heidi highlighted the FFE NM26 materials activists can distribute in real life and online to get these and other important election-related messages out.
Próximamente, materiales FFE NM26 en español.
In the second part of her presentation, Heidi showed the Land of Action Election Watching Video and answered questions about how local progressive grassroots groups can provide voter support and election protection. Heidi stressed the significance of pro-democracy community members rotating through early voting locations, to create a pro-voting atmosphere from October 6 through Election Day.
In the last segment of the workshop, Lauren Reichelt, leader of Indivisible Española, spoke about the need to plan now for the days and weeks following Election Day. We hope we can gather publicly to celebrate an election that is in fact free and fair; we may also need to come together to demand publicly that every vote is counted and the will of the electorate respected. Lauren discussed federal courthouses in Las Cruces, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe as possible venues for events on November 7. She also encouraged smaller public turnout activities on that day throughout the state.
