NM
New Mexico House Bill HB208

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

New Mexico House Bill HB208 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
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2828 HOUSE BILL 208
2929 57
3030 TH LEGISLATURE
3131 -
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3333 STATE
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3939 MEXICO
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4242 FIRST SESSION
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4545 2025
4646 INTRODUCED BY
4747 Rebecca Dow and Harlan Vincent and Jack Chatfield
4848 and Mark B. Murphy and Mark Duncan
4949 AN ACT
5050 RELATING TO ELECTIONS; ALLOWING A QUALIFIED ELECTOR APPLYING
5151 FOR A HUNTING OR FISHING LICENSE TO REGISTER TO VOTE AT THE
5252 DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH.
5353 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
5454 SECTION 1. Section 1-4-5.2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1995,
5555 Chapter 198, Section 3, as amended) is amended to read:
5656 "1-4-5.2. AGENCY REGISTRATION--FORM.--
5757 A. A qualified elector may register to vote at
5858 certain state government offices.
5959 B. Pursuant to Section 1-4-47 NMSA 1978, a
6060 qualified elector who applies for a driver's license, license
6161 renewal or motor vehicle identification card who is not
6262 registered to vote in this state and who is not automatically
6363 registered to vote pursuant to the automatic voter registration
6464 .229551.1 underscored material = new
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9191 provisions of Section 1-4-47 NMSA 1978 may simultaneously
9292 register to vote or file a change of address for voter
9393 registration purposes.
9494 C. Pursuant to Section 1-4-48 NMSA 1978, a
9595 qualified elector may register to vote: [in ]
9696 (1) at any state agency that provides public
9797 assistance or services to persons with disabilities. The
9898 secretary of state may designate other state or local public
9999 offices with the agreement of those offices; or
100100 (2) through the department of game and fish at
101101 the time the qualified elector applies for a hunting or fishing
102102 license pursuant to Subsection A of Section 17-3-5 NMSA 1978 .
103103 D. Pursuant to Sections 1-4-47 and 1-4-47.1 NMSA
104104 1978, a qualified elector may become registered to vote by
105105 automatic voter registration at the motor vehicle division of
106106 the taxation and revenue department or other state or local
107107 public offices designated by the secretary of state."
108108 SECTION 2. Section 1-4-48 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1995,
109109 Chapter 198, Section 13, as amended) is amended to read:
110110 "1-4-48. STATE-AGENCY-BASED VOTER REGISTRATION PROGRAM--
111111 ESTABLISHED--[HUMAN SERVICES ] HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY --DEPARTMENT
112112 OF GAME AND FISH.--
113113 A. The secretary of state shall adopt and publish
114114 in accordance with the State Rules Act rules for the
115115 administration of a state-agency-based voter registration
116116 .229551.1
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144144 program. The rules shall provide for distribution of voter
145145 registration forms, provisions for the acceptance of voter
146146 registration forms and procedures for reporting voter
147147 registration activity in accordance with the federal National
148148 Voter Registration Act of 1993.
149149 B. Voter registration shall be made available:
150150 (1) at all state agencies providing public
151151 assistance or services to people with disabilities. The
152152 secretary of state may designate other state and local public
153153 offices to provide voter registration services with the
154154 agreement of those offices; or
155155 (2) through the department of game and fish by
156156 a license vendor appointed and authorized by the director of
157157 the department of game and fish to accept applications and
158158 issue licenses for hunting or fishing .
159159 C. Each state agency participating in the voter
160160 registration program shall maintain sufficient records for the
161161 secretary of state to comply with federal voter registration
162162 reporting requirements and the federal Help America Vote Act of
163163 2002. Any records maintained by a state agency regarding voter
164164 registration activities in that agency are confidential and
165165 shall not be released as public records.
166166 D. Any voter registration made or accepted at a
167167 state agency pursuant to this section shall be transmitted to
168168 the appropriate registration officer within ten calendar days.
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197197 E. A state agency employee or agency contractor who
198198 participates in the voter registration process may not
199199 intentionally influence the prospective registrant in the
200200 selection of political party, or independent status, by word or
201201 act. A state agency employee or agency contractor who
202202 participates in the voter registration process may not reveal
203203 the existence of or the nature of the voter registration to
204204 anyone other than a registration officer.
205205 F. The [human services department ] health care
206206 authority shall develop procedures to be approved by the
207207 secretary of state to ensure that each benefit program
208208 administered by the department appropriately ensures that
209209 qualified electors receiving benefits are offered the
210210 opportunity to register to vote or update an existing
211211 certificate of registration without duplication of information
212212 contained by the department or by the secretary of state. No
213213 later than the last day of August of each calendar year, the
214214 [human services department ] health care authority shall issue
215215 an annual report detailing implementation of the requirements
216216 of this subsection. The report shall be sent to the
217217 legislative council service, the secretary of state and each
218218 county clerk.
219219 G. If a person who is not a qualified elector
220220 becomes registered to vote pursuant to this section, the
221221 person's registration shall be canceled and the person shall be
222222 .229551.1
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250250 deemed to have never registered."
251251 SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the
252252 provisions of this act is July 1, 2025.
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