States must stand up to protect voting rights

The time to fight voter suppression and empower every U.S. citizen in New Mexico is now. In 2021, over 400 bills restricting voting rights were introduced across the country, and at least 19 states passed such legislation.

There is no doubt that a chilling effect is sweeping the nation, disenfranchising voters with every measure. As we watch federal voting rights legislation stall, even as New Mexico’s congressional delegation rallies behind it, one thing is very clear — New Mexico can no longer wait on Congress to pass sweeping voter protections.

This legislative session, with the support and leadership of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, we have introduced bold voter reforms that will revolutionize the landscape of democracy in our state and enshrine that most sacred right — the right to vote.

The New Mexico Voting Rights Act (Senate Bill 8) is comprehensive, far-reaching and visionary. It will make voting more accessible for all citizens across New Mexico, while enhancing security measures. The legislation promotes voter registration, increases access to voting for Indigenous nations, tribes and pueblos while making absentee voting easier and more robust.

The act will simplify voter registration by allowing people to register to vote online using their Social Security number, even if they don’t have a Motor Vehicle Division-issued ID. It also adds an option for automatic voter registration upon completing a transaction at the MVD.

Key voting reforms contained in the act include protections for Indigenous voters. This legislation will expand the timeline for nations, tribes and pueblos to request alternate voting sites, thereby increasing their access to the ballot box across the state.

Among other reforms, the bill creates a permanent absentee ballot list, which means that once a voter registers for an absentee ballot, they can continue to receive ballots by mail without having to repeat their application each election.

Voting by mail has proven more important than ever throughout the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Pew Research Center, in the 2020 presidential election, more than double the number of U.S. voters chose to vote by mail as compared to the 2016 presidential election. Mail-in voting helps individuals who are sick or immunocompromised, those who lack transportation, the elderly and people with disabilities. The bill also requires at least one monitored secured container in each county to receive mail ballots.

The New Mexico Voting Rights Act contains many other reforms, such as designating Election Day as a state holiday, giving more people the time they need to cast their ballots. It allows 16-year-olds the right to vote in local elections and establishes procedures that allow inmates preparing for release the opportunity to register to vote.

New Mexicans of all walks of life want to protect their rights to be heard and represented. Together we can ensure every citizen in New Mexico has access to the right to vote, a right that so many have fought for hundreds of years to protect.