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HOUSE BILL 526
57
TH LEGISLATURE
-
STATE
OF
NEW
MEXICO
-
FIRST SESSION
,
2025
INTRODUCED BY
Cristina Parajón and Carrie Hamblen and Angel M. Charley
AN ACT
RELATING TO ELECTIONS; PROVIDING FOR THE REGISTRATION OF
QUALIFIED RESIDENTS WHO ARE SIXTEEN OR SEVENTEEN YEARS OF AGE
TO VOTE IN REGULAR LOCAL ELECTIONS, MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS AND
SPECIAL LOCAL ELECTIONS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
SECTION 1. Section 1-4-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1969,
Chapter 240, Section 60, as amended) is amended to read:
"1-4-2. REGISTRATION OF QUALIFIED RESIDENTS--RIGHT TO
VOTE IN PRIMARY.--
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-person transaction
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at the motor vehicle division of the taxation and revenue
department or as otherwise prescribed by the secretary of
state. The certificate shall be processed by the county clerk
in the same manner as for a qualified elector, but the
qualified resident shall not become a voter nor be considered a
voter, except as provided by this section and Section 1-4-2.1
NMSA 1978.
B. If a qualified resident submits a voter
registration certificate in accordance with the provisions of
Subsection A of this section and pursuant to the requirements
of Section 1-4-8 NMSA 1978, the qualified resident shall:
(1) become a voter upon the qualified
resident's eighteenth birthday;
(2) be considered a voter for the purpose of
participation in a statewide or special election where the
qualified resident will turn eighteen on or before the day of
the statewide or special election; or
(3) be considered a voter for the purpose of
participation in a political party primary election where the
qualified resident will turn eighteen on or before the day of
the general election immediately succeeding the primary
election.
C. Any resident of New Mexico who may be a
qualified elector upon the resident's eighteenth birthday, who
obtains a license, permit or identification card from the motor
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vehicle division of the taxation and revenue department and who
has not submitted a voter registration certificate pursuant to
Subsection A of this section shall be sent a notification by
the secretary of state advising the resident of the
requirements and opportunity to register to vote and a uniform
resource locator for a web page where the resident may submit a
voter registration certificate online. When applicable, a
notification shall be sent to a resident described in this
subsection within the sixty days following the resident's
seventeenth birthday, when the resident obtained a license,
permit or identification card from the motor vehicle division
prior to the resident's seventeenth birthday and within thirty
days prior to the resident's eighteenth birthday."
SECTION 2. A new section of the Election Code, Section
1-4-2.1 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:
"1-4-2.1. [NEW MATERIAL ] REGISTRATION OF QUALIFIED
RESIDENTS--RIGHT TO VOTE IN REGULAR LOCAL ELECTIONS, SPECIAL
LOCAL ELECTIONS AND MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS THAT ARE NOT HELD WITH
REGULAR LOCAL ELECTIONS.--
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-person transaction
at the motor vehicle division of the taxation and revenue
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department or as otherwise prescribed by the secretary of
state. The certificate shall be processed by the county clerk
in the same manner as for a qualified elector, but the
qualified resident shall not become a regular local election
voter nor be considered a regular local election voter except
as provided by this section.
B. If a qualified resident submits a voter
registration certificate in accordance with the provisions of
Subsection A of this section and pursuant to the requirements
of Section 1-4-8 NMSA 1978, the qualified resident shall:
(1) become a regular local election voter upon
the qualified resident's sixteenth birthday; or
(2) be considered a regular local election
voter for the purpose of participation in a regular local
election, special local election and municipal election where
the qualified resident will turn sixteen on or before the day
of the regular local election, special local election or
municipal election.
C. For the purposes of this section, "regular local
election voter" means a qualified resident who has registered
in accordance with the provisions of this section, met the
conditions specified in Subsection B of this section and is
therefore qualified to vote in all elections subject to the
provisions of the Local Election Act."
SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the
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provisions of this act is January 1, 2026.
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