Voting could be easier for hundreds of thousands of people in New Mexico if election-related legislation makes it a few more steps forward in the Roundhouse this session.
House Bill 4, otherwise known as Voting Rights Protections, would boost voting accessibility in the state, especially for Indigenous communities and formerly incarcerated people convicted of felonies.
The legislation passed the House of Representatives last week. On Monday, it passed Senate Rules, its first committee on the Senate side. It heads to the Senate Judiciary Committee next.
“The right to vote is fundamental, and New Mexicans deserve to be able to exercise those rights fully and fairly, without any unnecessary burdens,” bill sponsor Sen. Katy Duhigg (D-Albuquerque) said.
Lawmakers have been trying to push this legislation for a while. A similar proposal failed to pass last year because Sen. William Sharer (R-Farmington) filibustered it at the end of the 2022 legislative session.
Sen. Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque) said this time around, the bill has been amended so it’s less problematic, though she didn’t specify details.
“I just feel like this is going to put us on the map as one of the states that truly does care about ensuring the vote for everyone in our state,” she said.
New Mexico has some of the lowest voter turnout rates in the nation. The state ranked 40th nationwide for the percentage of citizens that voted in the 2020 election, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. For the most recent 2022 General Election, only about half of registered voters actually cast ballots, according to the Secretary of State’s website.
