Copyright © 2021 Albuquerque Journal
SANTA FE – The special election to fill a vacant Albuquerque-area congressional seat, which got underway this week with the start of early and absentee voting, is breaking new ground in New Mexico.
That’s because for the first time, qualified residents will be able to register to vote and cast a ballot on the same day through Election Day.
The arrival of Election Day voter registration is due to a 2019 law that, per its terms, has been gradually phased in to give county clerks more time to prepare
For the first two years after the law was enacted, voters could register to vote or change their registration up through the Saturday before Election Day.
“This is the first time voters have this opportunity to register to vote on Election Day,” said Mandy Vigil, the elections director for the Secretary of State’s Office, who acknowledged elections officials had not expected to have to implement the change so soon.
Previously, New Mexico had set a deadline to register to vote at 28 days before an election.
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At a glance
To take part in same-day voting, New Mexico voters will have to show proof of their identity and residence by showing a driver’s license or other form of identification, as well as a utility bill or other document showing their physical address.
For information on the June 1 special election to fill New Mexico’s vacant 1st Congressional District seat, go to: www.sos.state.nm.us
[It should have said same-day voter registration. To just vote doesn’t require showing an ID. Neither does registering to vote in person.]
Also:
Michelle Meaders