NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Election Day is coming up on Nov. 7, 2023. If you plan to vote in the upcoming Regular Local Election in New Mexico, you will not be required to show a photo voter ID. The same goes for statewide elections, with the Primary and General Elections happening next year in November.
This is not new. But the purpose of this story is to provide insight into voting in New Mexico.
Some municipalities in New Mexico that are not participating in Tuesday’s Regular Local Election have ordinances in place that require photo voter ID for their Municipal Officer Election happening in March. You can contact your county or city clerk to find out more information. County clerk contact information can be found at NMVote.org.
Most municipalities in New Mexico participate in the Regular Local Election, but there are a few that don’t, such as Rio Rancho, according to New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office Communications Director Alex Curtas.
Registering to vote and updating information
If you registered to vote for the first time by mail and did not provide a copy of a current and valid photo ID along with a current utility bill or bank statement, you will need to show some form of ID at your polling location, according to the New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State’s website. MVD-issued forms of identification are only required for online registration and online absentee ballot requests.
Before voting, make sure your voter registration is accurate by clicking here. If you need to register to vote or update your information, you can do so here.
Identifying yourself at a polling location
When going to vote, you will be asked to provide a verbal or written statement of identification, including your name, date of birth, and address.
“That’s a legal document you’re signing, that you are the person you just said you are, and then they produce my ballot and I vote. So we’ve always had a form of ID. It’s just not a picture ID, that gets confusing to some people,” said Bernalillo County Clerk Linda Stover.
Each state sets its own voter ID rules, according to the federal government. Multiple other states have similar voter ID requirements like New Mexico’s.
The Regular Local Election
The upcoming election on Nov. 7 is a Regular Local Election. Stover said that while each election is important, this one is especially important because of the direct impact it has at the local level.
“This is a local election. This is the thing that affects you immediately as you live your life in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, or all over this state. The people you elect to sit on the city council, on APS, on CNM, any of these governing boards, regulate what happens to you and your children in your everyday life,” Stover explained.
For more voting information, go to NMVote.org or click here for frequently asked questions.
