Bob Bartelsmeyer
Doña Ana County is without an elections supervisor after Bob Bartelsmeyer and the county parted ways last week – a month before the June primary.
The reason isn’t known publicly because it’s a personnel issue, but County Clerk Lynn Ellins confirmed that Bartelsmeyer is no longer employed by the county.
Ellins said he and Chief Deputy Clerk Mario Jimenez will “split the responsibilities” of the elections director job for the time being. Both have run county elections in the past.
Ellins said he will supervise work with technicians on the voting machines, which are stored in a warehouse, while Jimenez will supervise elections work in the clerk’s office.
Bartelsmeyer was hired in August and, at the time, had more than 25 years of experience in elections management, including 22 years as the county clerk in Lawrence County, Missouri. In November, the secretary of state picked Bartelsmeyer to serve with her on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
Ellins was elections supervisor when he ran for clerk in 2008. Jimenez, who was an employee of the elections bureau at the time, ran the 2008 primary and general elections in Doña Ana County because Ellins was a candidate.