New Mexicans who claim membership in a minority party or are unaffiliated in their voter registration can switch to one of the three majority parties in advance of the upcoming primary elections.
Those voters can change their affiliation to Democrat, Republican, or Libertarian. This is due to recent changes in New Mexico election law, according to KOB 4. Voters can begin the registration-update process, which takes approximately five minutes, beginning on Tuesday. If they want, they can reverse their affiliation after the election.
Same-day registration updates will be available at some early voting locations. Voters already affiliated with a major party are not allowed to switch parties between May 10 and June 7.
New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver (D) encouraged voters to participate in the statewide primary. They can choose a major-party affiliation onsite at election-day polling places and county clerks' offices, KOB 4 reported. Toulouse Oliver is up for re-election this year.
"Where the primary election is the only election, now, these folks who previously have not been able to participate in that election do have an opportunity to make their voices heard," Toulouse Oliver told KOB 4.
New Mexico's closed primary system requires voters to declare affiliation with a major party in order to vote in primary elections. Approximately one-fourth of New Mexico's registered voters have no party affiliation or belong to a minority political party, KOB 4 reported.
Access to primary voting, particularly in major party contests, is important. The primaries determine which candidates will advance to the general elections in November, and voters in those elections decide who retains or assumes office.
Toulouse Oliver is running unopposed in the Democratic secretary of state primary race, part of New Mexico's June 7 primary election. She will be challenged for her seat in November by Republican Audrey Trujillo and Libertarian Mayna Myers, who also are unopposed in their primaries, KOB 4 reported.