ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The voting machines are tested. The ballots are ready. Critical issues like abortion and the economy are driving votes.

Election integrity and security are driving doubt.

“It really puts a microscope on the work that we’re doing,” said New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver.

4 investigates went to areas all over the metro wanting to hear from New Mexicans. We asked two simple questions: Do you plan to vote, and will you have confidence in the election results?

What we found surprised us. In every corner of our city, people had doubts about the security of our election. We took those concerns to the state’s top election official.

Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said the biggest change is not the work, it’s the attention to it.

“Because there have been, there has been so much mis and disinformation about our election process that has been spread, over the last several years,” she said.

People we talked to in neighborhoods across Albuquerque and Rio Rancho prove that when asked if they had confidence in the election process.

“I don’t know, the way things of been going lately you just can’t help but wonder, you know?”

“New Mexicans should absolutely trust our election process,” said Toulouse Oliver.

The Secretary of State points to an MIT study, which ranks New Mexico’s election administration process as the country’s best.

Despite the recent attacks on ballot drop boxes in Oregon and Washington, she said drop boxes in New Mexico are secure and monitored 24/7.

“They’re also tamperproof. So, if someone tried to take a baseball bat to one of, threw a rock at it, there are alarms that go off. So the county clerks know something is happening,” said Toulouse Oliver.

Still, Mew Mexicans we talked with believe there are ways to cheat the system.

In 2019, poll workers caught the wife of an Española city councilman forging signatures on absentee ballots.

Years before that, 4 Investigates uncovered an alcohol-for-votes swap in northern New Mexico.

“We haven’t seen, in my 18 years of running elections, in which this type of activity, nefarious activity or illegal activity has affected the outcome of the election,” said Toulouse Oliver.

Toulouse Oliver said the clerk’s around the state check signatures on absentee ballots, and make sure there aren’t dead people on the voter rolls.

But some people point out that about a third of the states don’t require voter ID, including New Mexico.

“We are able to ensure all this integrity, but we are also able to balance that with accessibility. It’s possible to have a perfectly secure election process, perfect, and that’s a system where no one casts a ballot. Right, that’s the only way to guarantee that. There’s nothing ensuring the ID you’re showing me is yours. We’ve all heard of fake IDs,” said Toulouse Oliver.

We’ve also heard about non-citizens voting.

“Honestly, you know, this is something that comes up every single election cycle,” said Toulouse Oliver.

The Supreme Court just allowed Republican officials in Virginia to purge 1,600 voters from its rolls. Democrats claimed legal voters were getting thrown out too.

“We’re checking both your driver’s license number and your social security number against the motor vehicle division database,” said Toulouse Oliver.

Toulouse Oliver has even testified before Congress about election security rumors.

“This false information has led to increased threats and harassment to election workers. Many of the people at this table have personally experienced that,” said Toulouse Oliver to members of Congress.

This election comes with a warning from U.S. Intelligence agencies, putting local law enforcement on high alert for threats from domestic extremists toward candidates, elected officials, and election workers.

“Our democracy, and the health of it, is dependent on every eligible voter getting out and casting their ballot,” she said.

The Secretary of State has been talking about this for four years. There’s more of our interview online including information about how the state audits its election results and how New Mexico makes sure its dominion voting machines are secure.