BERNALILLO, N.M. (AP) - A federal appeals court has dismissed an appeal of a judge’s order that required Sandoval County to use more election polling places and machines in the 2014 election.
The Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday said the case is now moot because the 2014 election has already been held.
A U.S. District Court judge had ordered Sandoval County to increase polling places and machines after voting precincts were consolidated into voting centers for the 2012 election.
That resulted in hours-long lines at polling places in Republican-leaning Rio Rancho, an Albuquerque suburb that is the county’s most populous city.
The judge called that a “complete disaster.”
The county had appealed, but the 10th Circuit declined before the 2014 election was held to accelerate its review of the case.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.