Same Day Voter Registration Bill Passes NM Senate Rules Committee

The Senate version of the same day voter registration bill, SB 161 sponsored by Sen. John Sapien (D-Corrales), passed its first committee, Rules, on a 4 to 3 party line vote today. There was an attempt by Sen. Dianna Duran (R-Tularosa) to include a photo ID requirement in the bill, but that was defeated.

SB 161 permits currently registered voters to update their registration information at early vote sites as well as new voters to register in person at an early vote site. This bill does not permit same day registration on Election Day.

The safeguards in this bill, as reported by the County Clerks Association, are significant. With regular in-person registration (i.e. more than 28 days before an election), no ID is required to be presented. Under this bill, same-day registrants must present a physical ID that may be a photo ID or a non-photo ID.

This bill amends the voter ID section of the Election Code applicable to all voters to require the address on a non-photo ID to match the registration address. In addition, under this bill a same-day registrant will receive a regular ballot only if the statewide real-time computer system is operational and the person’s information can be entered into the system to verify the person has not and will not vote elsewhere in that election. If the computer system is not immediately operational, the voter will be given a provisional ballot.

Next, the bill goes to the Senate Judiciary Committee, and if it passes, on to the Senate floor.

A companion bill, HB 123, sponsored by Rep. Jim Trujillo (D-Santa Fe) has passed the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee and is now in the House Voters and Elections Committee.