As of March 12, members of the New Mexico State Legislature, which includes the New Mexico House of Representatives and the New Mexico State Senate, have passed one bill related to election administration since the beginning of the year. The bill is:
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NM HB4: Voting Rights Protections, No sponsors listed.
- Deletes a provision that a polling place on Indian lands will not be eliminated or consolidated with other polling stations without written agreement.
- Adds automatic voter registration as an option for voters, through other state agencies, as designated by the secretary of state, and outlines administrative requirements for automatic voter registration.
- Prohibits voter data being transferred, [copied], or shared to anyone outside the requesting agency or to the general public.
- Allows for same day voter registration and outlines related administrative procedures.
- Prohibits a voter changing party affiliation when registering to vote, or updating an existing voter registration, immediately before voting.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) has not yet signed the bill.
From March 6-12, legislators passed four bills related to election administration nationally. As of March 12, South Dakota legislators have passed the most bills this year with 16, while legislators in 40 states have passed none. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R) has signed the most bills with three enacted, while governors in 43 states have signed none.
The New Mexico State Legislature is scheduled to be in session from Jan. 17 to March 18 this year. In 2022, New Mexico legislators passed one election-related bill in the state Senate. The bill was not enacted into law. New Mexico is a Democratic trifecta, meaning Democrats control the governorship and both chambers of the state legislature.
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