Registering to vote for the first time in New Mexico and submitting your application by mail requires a copy of (1) a current and valid photo ID; or (2) a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, student ID card, or other government document, including those issued by an Indian nation, tribe, or pueblo, that shows your name and current address. If you do not include one of these documents with a first-time mailed application, you will be required to present one when voting in person or absentee. Once the County Clerk accepts the application, individuals or groups may request the public record. However, the date of birth and Social Security number on the application are always confidential.
You do not need an MVD-issued New Mexico ID or driver’s license to vote. MVD-issued identification is only required for online registration and online absentee ballot requests. You may use a paper registration application to register to vote. Your out-of-state ID or driver’s license along with a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, student ID card, or other government document, including those issued by an Indian nation, tribe, or pueblo, that shows your name and current address will satisfy the identification requirement.
Voter registration closes 28 days before an election. Same-day voter registration is in effect. Applications may be submitted in person or by mail to the appropriate County Clerk until the Friday following the registration deadline as long as the date and/or postmark is prior to the deadline (28 days before the election).
Your ballot content includes district offices, bond questions, and other types of ballot contests directly related to the precinct of your physical registration address. Therefore, if you move, even within the same city, you need to change your voter registration.
You are not required to choose a political party to complete the registration application. You can choose to affiliate with a political party if you wish or you can choose to not affiliate with any political party. New Mexico has a closed primary election, so only those registered in a major political party may participate in the primary election. The major political parties in New Mexico are: Democratic Party, Republican Party, and Libertarian Party. Voters affiliated with all other political parties or voters not affiliated with a political party may not vote in New Mexico primary elections. However, all voters regardless of political party are welcome to participate in all other elections.
To change your party affiliation, you need to complete a new voter registration application and submit it to your County Clerk or the Secretary of State’s Office, or submit a new registration online.
You can complete a voter registration application when you are 17 years old but you will not be able to sign any petitions. Seventeen year olds who will be 18 by the General Election may participate in the Primary Election. Voters must be 18 years old to participate in all other elections. By completing the voter registration application now, you are essentially pre-registering but you will not become a valid voter until you turn 18 years old. Only eligible voters may sign petitions or vote in an election.
State law allows Third Party Registration Agents to assist people to register to vote. These agents must attend training and register with the Secretary of State’s Office. They can prove the validity of their third party registration agent status by showing you their notarized ‘Voter Registration Agent Identification Form’.
You are not required to provide an unlisted telephone number on the voter registration application. However, it is helpful if the Secretary of State or County Clerk needs to contact you should there be a problem processing your registration. If you have an unlisted telephone number and are willing to provide it, simply select “No” next to the telephone number and we will not disclose it to anyone else.
If the application you submit is missing information which prevents you from being registered, you will be notified by a letter mailed to the address on the application. That letter is mailed within ten days or less from the date your application is received. The letter will state the problem with your application and will include a new application or other guidance on how to correct the situation.
If you register to vote after registration has closed, the county clerk will still accept your voter registration application but it will not be processed until thirty-five (35) days after the election.
If you are currently incarcerated for a felony, you cannot vote or register to vote while incarcerated. However, once you are no longer incarcerated in a prison or other correctional facility, you can register and vote in New Mexico elections. You can register to vote and vote even if you are on probation or parole. As you approach your release from incarceration, you will have the opportunity to register to vote, either through the online portal or a paper application, or when you apply for a license or ID card through the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD). If you were registered to vote before you were incarcerated, you will have the opportunity to update your existing registration as you approach your release from incarceration.
In New Mexico, only major political party candidates appear on the Primary Election ballot. The three major political parties are the Democratic Party of New Mexico, the Republican Party of New Mexico, and the Libertarian Party of New Mexico. Qualified minor party candidates may appear on the General Election ballot and be nominated for office in accordance with party rules on file with the Secretary of State and in accordance with NMSA 1978 §§ 1-8-2 and 1-8-3.
