Editing Otero County, New Mexico (section)

==History==
The western part of Otero County was handed over to the [[United States Army]] as the US was preparing to enter [[World War II]] and eventually became part of [[White Sands Missile Range]]. This did not significantly hinder the growth of the county, whose population more than doubled in the 1950s.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

The county declared a state of emergency in April 2019 when the [[United States Border Patrol interior checkpoints|federal inspection stations]] on U.S. Route 70 and U.S. Route 54 were left unstaffed by [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection]] as part of the temporary closure of all six checkpoints in the El Paso Sector, which covers West Texas and New Mexico. The county was concerned about the possibility of illegal narcotics flowing north unchecked since the checkpoint agents had been shifted to the border to help process migrant asylum-seekers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/04/26/717299664/new-mexico-county-declares-local-emergency-over-abandoned-border-patrol-checkpoi|title=New Mexico County Declares Local Emergency Over Abandoned Border Patrol Checkpoints|last=Burnett|first=John|date=April 26, 2019|work=NPR News|access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref> The inspection stations reopened August 5, 2019.

On Monday June 13, 2022, the county commissioners attracted nationwide attention by [[Big lie#Donald Trump's false claims of a stolen election|refusing to certify]] the results of the local 2022 primary election on June 7, 2022.<ref name= yahooYoutube >
*Morgan Lee [https://news.yahoo.com/building-anger-rural-mexico-erupts-181614155.html (18 June 2022) Building anger in rural New Mexico erupts in election crisis]
*Otero County [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv9KECp4khg (13 June 2022) Otero County Special Meeting June 13, 2022 1:22:24] Commisioners District 1: Gerald Matherly; District 2: Couy Griffin; District 3: Vickie Marquardt;</ref> In response, the New Mexico Secretary of State filed a lawsuit and [[writ of mandamus]] against the commissioners for their refusal. By Friday June 17, 2022, two of the three commissioners agreed to certify the election results, which defused the crisis.<ref name= oteroCountyCert >
*Fredreka Schouten [https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/election-standoff-ends-in-new-mexico-county-after-false-fraud-claims-threw-primary-certification-into-question/ar-AAYB264 (17 Jun 2022) Election standoff ends in New Mexico county after false fraud claims threw primary certification into question].
*Andrew Beale [https://sourcenm.com/2022/06/16/nm-supreme-court-steps-in-after-otero-county-refuses-to-certify-primary-result/ (16 Jun 2022) NM Supreme Court steps in after Otero County refuses to certify primary results].
*Adrian Hedden ''Alamogordo Daily News'' [https://www.alamogordonews.com/story/news/2022/06/16/otero-county-new-mexico-ordered-certify-2022-election-results-face-criminal-charges/65361397007/ (16 Jun 2022) New Mexico may open criminal investigation if Otero County doesn't certify election results].</ref>