Chapter 1 — Chapter 1

For the conduct of any statewide election during the period beginning January 1 of the next succeeding even-numbered year until December 31 of the odd-numbered year thereafter, in June or July of each odd-numbered year, the board of county commissioners shall by resolution: A. de…

A. Beginning January 1, 2022, the secretary of state shall collect and make publicly available on the secretary of state's website the geographic information system data for each voting district in the state. B. The geographic information system data shall be accessible free of c…

History: 1953 Comp., § 3-3-3, enacted by Laws 1969, ch. 240, § 52; 1975, ch. 255, § 29; 2011, ch. 137, § 29; 1978 Comp., § 1-3-3, repealed by Laws 2019, ch. 212, § 284.

ANNOTATIONS Repeals. — Laws 2000, ch. 81, § 2 repealed 1-3-3.1 NMSA 1978, as enacted by Laws 2000, ch. 81, § 1, relating to the freezing of precinct boundaries, effective January 31, 2002. For provisions of former section, see the 2001 NMSA 1978 on NMOneSource.com.

A. The board of county commissioners shall establish voter convenience centers through the use of consolidated precincts for voting in a statewide election. B. When precincts are consolidated and voter convenience centers are established for statewide elections: (1) the resolutio…

A. The board of county commissioners shall by resolution: (1) create additional precincts to meet the requirements of Section 1-3-1 NMSA 1978; and (2) divide, abolish, combine or adjust the boundaries of any precincts as necessary to meet legal and constitutional requirements for…

A. Any twenty-five or more voters of a precinct dissatisfied with the boundaries fixed for a precinct or location of the polling place designated by the board of county commissioners for that precinct may, within one hundred eighty days from the date a change to the boundaries of…

History: Laws 2009, ch. 222, § 1; repealed by Laws 2009, ch. 222, § 4.

A. No less than one polling place shall be provided for each precinct that is not a mail ballot election precinct; provided that in a local election, a precinct that lies partly within and partly without a district may be located in a single polling place and use a single electio…

In the interest of the convenience of the voters and providing accessibility to the polling place, the board of county commissioners may create additional polling places within the precinct upon their own action or upon receipt of a petition signed by at least ten percent of the …

History: 1978 Comp., § 1-3-7.2, enacted by Laws 2021, ch. 107, § 1; repealed by Laws 2023, ch. 84, § 24.

Upon the adoption of any resolution, or upon the final action of any district court upon a petition creating, abolishing, dividing or consolidating any precinct, or changing any precinct boundary, or changing any designated polling place, the board of county commissioners shall: …

As used in Chapter 1, Article 3 NMSA 1978, "precinct" shall not include absent voter precinct. History: 1953 Comp., § 3-3-10, enacted by Laws 1975, ch. 255, § 33; 1991 (1st S.S.), ch. 6, § 5.

Sections 2 through 10 [1-3A-1 to 1-3A-10 NMSA 1978] of this act may be cited as the "Redistricting Act". History: Laws 2021, ch. 79, § 2.

As used in the Redistricting Act: A. "committee" means the citizen redistricting committee; B. "community of interest" means a contiguous population that shares common economic, social or cultural interests; C. "district plan" means an entire plan of single-member districts for e…

A. The "citizen redistricting committee" is created. B. The committee is composed of seven members, appointed, with due regard to the cultural and geographic diversity of the state, as follows: (1) one member appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; (2) one membe…

A. To qualify for appointment to the committee, a person shall: (1) be a qualified elector of New Mexico and a voter; and (2) not be, or in the two years prior to appointment have been, in New Mexico, any of the following: (a) a public official; (b) a candidate for public office;…

A. Beginning July 1, 2021, and every August 1 of each year ending in the number zero thereafter, the committee shall: (1) no later than October 30, 2021, or as soon thereafter as practicable, and September 1 of each year ending in the number one thereafter, adopt three district p…

A. Before the committee issues proposed district plans for public comment, the committee shall hold no fewer than six public meetings at which the committee shall receive testimony, documents and information regarding the identification of communities of interest and other testim…

A. The committee shall develop district plans in accordance with the following provisions: (1) congressional districts shall be as equal in population as practicable; (2) state districts shall be substantially equal in population; no plans for state office will be considered that…

The committee shall adopt at a minimum three district plans for each of New Mexico's congressional districts, the state house of representatives, the state senate and other state offices required to be redistricted at an open meeting. After the committee adopts the district plans…

A. The committee shall deliver its adopted district plans and accompanying written evaluations and all accompanying concise explanatory statements to the legislature by October 30, 2021, or as soon thereafter as practicable, and September 1 of each year ending in the number one t…

No person shall vote at any election unless he is registered as required by the Election Code [Chapter 1 NMSA 1978]. No ballot of any unregistered or otherwise unqualified elector shall be cast, counted or canvassed. History: 1953 Comp., § 3-4-1, enacted by Laws 1969, ch. 240, § …

investigation and reconciliation. A. The secretary of state may: (1) provide to the chief election officer of another state or a consortium of chief election officers of other states information that is requested, including social security numbers, dates of birth, driver's licens…

History: 1953 Comp., § 3-4-8.2, enacted by Laws 1977, ch. 222, § 7; 1978 Comp., § 1-4-10, recompiled as § 1-12-71 by Laws 2011, ch. 137, § 109.

A. Upon receipt of a complete certificate of registration, if the certificate of registration is in proper form, the county clerk shall determine if the qualified elector applying for registration is already registered in the registration records of the county. If the qualified e…

A. Certificates of registration, if in proper form, shall be processed and filed by the county clerk as follows: (1) a voter information document shall be delivered or mailed to the voter; and (2) the original certificate shall be filed alphabetically by surname and inserted into…

A. Any voter who changes his name or discovers an error in his certificate of registration may have the name on his certificate changed or the error corrected by filing an application to change the certificate of registration. B. The application to change the certificate of regis…

History: 1953 Comp., § 3-4-12, enacted by Laws 1969, ch. 240, § 70; 1975, ch. 255, § 38; 1993, ch. 314, § 13; 1993, ch. 316, § 13; 1995, ch. 198, § 7; repealed by Laws 2011, ch. 137, § 110.

A. A voter may change the voter's designated party affiliation by executing a new certificate of registration indicating the change of party affiliation. B. A voter who has previously declined to designate a party affiliation on the voter's certificate of registration but who des…

A. No designation of party affiliation shall be made or changed on an existing certificate of registration at any time during which registration is closed. B. Every person appearing as a candidate on the primary or general election ballot shall be a candidate only under the name …

A. A voter who has changed his residence within the same county shall complete a certificate of registration to change his registered residence address or file a change of residence notification with the county clerk on a postcard-type form, approved by the secretary of state. B.…

When a voter changes the voter's registered residence address from one county in this state to another county in this state, the voter shall complete a new certificate of registration and file it with the appropriate county clerk. History: 1953 Comp., § 3-4-16, enacted by Laws 19…

A. A person may complete a certificate of registration in person or by mail. In addition, the secretary of state shall, not later than January 1, 2016, allow a voter to submit an update to an existing certificate of registration and, not later than July 1, 2017, allow a qualified…

to voters. A. When a new precinct is created or the boundaries of an existing precinct are changed, the board of county commissioners shall notify the county clerk of such action. B. Upon receipt of the notice, the county clerk shall reflect such change on the voter file and mail…

A. Any qualified resident of New Mexico shall be permitted within the provisions of the Election Code to submit a voter registration certificate in paper form, through the online voter registration portal provided by the secretary of state, electronically when conducting an in- p…

ANNOTATIONS Repeals. — Laws 1987, ch. 249, § 52 repealed 1-4-20 NMSA 1978, as enacted by Laws 1969, ch. 240, § 76, relating to the affidavit of registration form, effective June 19, 1987.

A qualified elector whose registration has been refused or the county chairman of any major political party who alleges that certain persons are qualified electors but have been refused registration may bring an appeal regarding the refused registration pursuant to the provisions…

A. At any time not less than one hundred twenty days prior to and following a statewide election, the secretary of state may file and present to the district court a verified petition alleging, on information and belief, that certain persons registered, named in the petition, are…

History: 1953 Comp., § 3-4-21, enacted by Laws 1969, ch. 240, § 79; 1975, ch. 255, § 44; 1979, ch. 24, § 1; 1993, ch. 314, § 19; 1993, ch. 316, § 19; 1995, ch. 198, § 9; 2005, ch. 270, § 22; repealed by Laws 2011, ch. 137, § 110.

The county clerk shall cancel certificates of registration for the following reasons: A. death of the voter; B. at the request of the voter; or C. at the direction of the board of registration. History: 1953 Comp., § 3-4-22, enacted by Laws 1969, ch. 240, § 80; 1979, ch. 24, § 2;…

A. For purposes of cancellation of registration, the death of a voter shall be ascertained by obituary notices or probate records or by comparison of registration records with monthly certified lists of deceased residents filed with the secretary of state. B. The state registrar …

History: 1953 Comp., § 3-4-24, enacted by Laws 1969, ch. 240, § 82; 1993, ch. 314, § 22; 1993, ch. 316, § 22; repealed by Laws 2019, ch. 212, 284.

ANNOTATIONS Repeals. — Laws 2001, ch. 46, § 4 repealed 1-4-27 NMSA 1978, as enacted by Laws 1969, ch. 240, § 83, relating to the cancellation of a convicted felon's voter's registration, effective July 1, 2001. For provisions of former section, see the 2000 NMSA 1978 on NMOneSour…

A. A voter is ineligible to vote while imprisoned in a correctional facility as part of a sentence for a felony conviction. Except as provided in this section, an otherwise qualified elector is ineligible to register to vote while imprisoned in a correctional facility as part of …

A. The secretary of state, county clerks and boards of registration, in compliance with the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993, shall remove from the official list of eligible voters the names of voters who are ineligible to vote due to change of residence. B. The se…

secretary of state. A. If the board of registration or the county clerk of any county does not cancel registration certificates as required by law, the secretary of state shall investigate the registration records, election returns and other pertinent records of that county and f…

The registration of a qualified elector is permanent for all purposes during the life of such person unless and until his certificate of registration is canceled for any cause specified in the Election Code [Chapter 1 NMSA 1978]. History: 1953 Comp., § 3-4-3, enacted by Laws 1969…

A. The county clerk shall cancel a certificate of registration upon the request of a voter only for the following reasons: (1) when the voter changes the voter's registered residence address to another county within the state; (2) when the voter moves to another state; and (3) up…

History: 1953 Comp., § 3-4-29, enacted by Laws 1969, ch. 240, § 87; 1975, ch. 255, § 49; 1979, ch. 24, § 4; 1993, ch. 314, § 27; 1993, ch. 316, § 27; repealed by Laws 2011, ch. 137, § 110.