Fiscal impact reports (FIRs) are prepared by the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) for standing finance
committees of the Legislature. LFC does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of these reports if they
are used for other purposes.
F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Mejia/Block/Terrazas/Zamora/Montoya
LAST UPDATED
ORIGINAL DATE 3/3/25
SHORT TITLE Registration of Non-Citizens to Vote
BILL
NUMBER House Bill 572
ANALYST Hilla
ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL OPERATING BUDGET IMPACT*
(dollars in thousands)
Agency/Program
FY25 FY26 FY27
3 Year
Total Cost
Recurring or
Nonrecurring
Fund
Affected
Cost to Counites
No fiscal
impact
Indeterminate
but minimal
Indeterminate
but minimal
Indeterminate
but minimal
Recurring
Other state
funds
Parentheses ( ) indicate expenditure decreases.
*Amounts reflect most recent analysis of this legislation.
Relates to Senate Bill 452 and House Bill 572 and duplicates Senate Bill 453
Sources of Information
LFC Files
Agency Analysis Received From
Secretary of State (SOS)
New Mexico Attorney General (NMAG)
Agency Analysis was Solicited but Not Received From New Mexico County Clerks Affiliate
SUMMARY
Synopsis of House Bill 572
House Bill 572 (HB572) prohibits the Secretary of State (SOS) or a county clerk from sending
notifications of eligibility or potential eligibility to register to vote in the state to persons who are
not citizens of the United States.
The effective date of this bill is July 1, 2025.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
This bill does not create a new crime for violations of it, however, any violations in the Election
Code that do not impose a specific penalty result in a petty misdemeanor. While a petty
misdemeanor generally does not result in significant incarceration, individuals convicted under
this statute could face short-term detention, increasing county jail costs. The cost of housing an
individual in a county detention facility varies by jurisdiction but is estimated at approximately
$100 per day. Given that petty misdemeanor sentences rarely exceed six months and are often
resolved through fines or probation, the overall incarceration impact is expected to be limited but
nonzero. House Bill 572 – Page 2
The precise fiscal impact is difficult to quantify, as incarceration for petty misdemeanors is
discretionary and often depends on local enforcement and judicial practices. If enforcement
varies by county, some jurisdictions may see higher jail admissions than others, leading to
disparate fiscal impacts across the state. Additionally, any increase in criminal charges could
contribute to higher caseloads for courts, district attorneys, and public defenders, though these
costs are not included in this estimate due to the difficulty in determining their fiscal impact with
certainty.
Beyond direct incarceration costs, counties may experience increased administrative and
personnel costs related to compliance, enforcement, and case adjudication resulting from this
measure. However, without clear data on enforcement levels, this analysis assumes the extent of
these costs remains indeterminate but minimal.
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
The Secretary of State (SOS) notes that non-U.S. citizens are not allowed to register to vote in
the state of New Mexico. SOS states that all voters seeking to register or update registration must
attest they are a citizen of the U.S. pursuant to both state and federal regulations. Pursuant to 1-4-
11, NMSA 1978, county clerks shall reject any certificate of registration in which citizenship
questions are not answered or are answered in the negative. Additionally, violating voter
registration laws (including false voting) is already a fourth-degree felony. SOS indicates that if
a section of the Election Code does not impose a specific penalty for violation, the violation
results in a petty misdemeanor. SOS adds that if SB453 passes, outreach to all potential voters
with registration information from official sources would be dramatically hindered.
The New Mexico Attorney General (NMAG) notes the bill does not have any enforcement
mechanisms, and it may be difficult for election officers to comply with the bill without a
centralized database with citizenship status.
CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP
Senate Bill 453 duplicates this bill. HB572 relates to Senate Bill 452 and House Bill 170.
EH/rl/SR