New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

New Mexico House Bill HB526 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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28	28	HOUSE BILL 526
29	29	57
30	30	TH LEGISLATURE
31	31	-
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33	33	STATE
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35	35	OF
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37	37	NEW
38	38
39	39	MEXICO
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41	41	-
42	42	FIRST SESSION
43	43	,
44	44
45	45	2025
46	46	INTRODUCED BY
47	47	Cristina Parajón and Carrie Hamblen and Angel M. Charley
48	48	AN ACT
49	49	RELATING TO ELECTIONS; PROVIDING FOR THE REGISTRATION OF
50	50	QUALIFIED RESIDENTS WHO ARE SIXTEEN OR SEVENTEEN YEARS OF AGE
51	51	TO VOTE IN REGULAR LOCAL ELECTIONS, MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS AND
52	52	SPECIAL LOCAL ELECTIONS.
53	53	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
54	54	SECTION 1. Section 1-4-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1969,
55	55	Chapter 240, Section 60, as amended) is amended to read:
56	56	"1-4-2. REGISTRATION OF QUALIFIED RESIDENTS--RIGHT TO
57	57	VOTE IN PRIMARY.--
58	58	A. Any qualified resident of New Mexico shall be
59	59	permitted within the provisions of the Election Code to submit
60	60	a voter registration certificate in paper form, through the
61	61	online voter registration portal provided by the secretary of
62	62	state, electronically when conducting an in-person transaction
63	63	.230447.2 underscored material = new
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90	90	at the motor vehicle division of the taxation and revenue
91	91	department or as otherwise prescribed by the secretary of
92	92	state. The certificate shall be processed by the county clerk
93	93	in the same manner as for a qualified elector, but the
94	94	qualified resident shall not become a voter nor be considered a
95	95	voter, except as provided by this section and Section 1-4-2.1
96	96	NMSA 1978.
97	97	B. If a qualified resident submits a voter
98	98	registration certificate in accordance with the provisions of
99	99	Subsection A of this section and pursuant to the requirements
100	100	of Section 1-4-8 NMSA 1978, the qualified resident shall:
101	101	(1) become a voter upon the qualified
102	102	resident's eighteenth birthday;
103	103	(2) be considered a voter for the purpose of
104	104	participation in a statewide or special election where the
105	105	qualified resident will turn eighteen on or before the day of
106	106	the statewide or special election; or
107	107	(3) be considered a voter for the purpose of
108	108	participation in a political party primary election where the
109	109	qualified resident will turn eighteen on or before the day of
110	110	the general election immediately succeeding the primary
111	111	election.
112	112	C. Any resident of New Mexico who may be a
113	113	qualified elector upon the resident's eighteenth birthday, who
114	114	obtains a license, permit or identification card from the motor
115	115	.230447.2
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143	143	vehicle division of the taxation and revenue department and who
144	144	has not submitted a voter registration certificate pursuant to
145	145	Subsection A of this section shall be sent a notification by
146	146	the secretary of state advising the resident of the
147	147	requirements and opportunity to register to vote and a uniform
148	148	resource locator for a web page where the resident may submit a
149	149	voter registration certificate online. When applicable, a
150	150	notification shall be sent to a resident described in this
151	151	subsection within the sixty days following the resident's
152	152	seventeenth birthday, when the resident obtained a license,
153	153	permit or identification card from the motor vehicle division
154	154	prior to the resident's seventeenth birthday and within thirty
155	155	days prior to the resident's eighteenth birthday."
156	156	SECTION 2. A new section of the Election Code, Section
157	157	1-4-2.1 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:
158	158	"1-4-2.1. [NEW MATERIAL ] REGISTRATION OF QUALIFIED
159	159	RESIDENTS--RIGHT TO VOTE IN REGULAR LOCAL ELECTIONS, SPECIAL
160	160	LOCAL ELECTIONS AND MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS THAT ARE NOT HELD WITH
161	161	REGULAR LOCAL ELECTIONS.--
162	162	A. Any qualified resident of New Mexico shall be
163	163	permitted within the provisions of the Election Code to submit
164	164	a voter registration certificate in paper form, through the
165	165	online voter registration portal provided by the secretary of
166	166	state, electronically when conducting an in-person transaction
167	167	at the motor vehicle division of the taxation and revenue
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196	196	department or as otherwise prescribed by the secretary of
197	197	state. The certificate shall be processed by the county clerk
198	198	in the same manner as for a qualified elector, but the
199	199	qualified resident shall not become a regular local election
200	200	voter nor be considered a regular local election voter except
201	201	as provided by this section.
202	202	B. If a qualified resident submits a voter
203	203	registration certificate in accordance with the provisions of
204	204	Subsection A of this section and pursuant to the requirements
205	205	of Section 1-4-8 NMSA 1978, the qualified resident shall:
206	206	(1) become a regular local election voter upon
207	207	the qualified resident's sixteenth birthday; or
208	208	(2) be considered a regular local election
209	209	voter for the purpose of participation in a regular local
210	210	election, special local election and municipal election where
211	211	the qualified resident will turn sixteen on or before the day
212	212	of the regular local election, special local election or
213	213	municipal election.
214	214	C. For the purposes of this section, "regular local
215	215	election voter" means a qualified resident who has registered
216	216	in accordance with the provisions of this section, met the
217	217	conditions specified in Subsection B of this section and is
218	218	therefore qualified to vote in all elections subject to the
219	219	provisions of the Local Election Act."
220	220	SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the
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249	249	provisions of this act is January 1, 2026.
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