New Mexico Board of Regents Nominating Committees Amendment (2026)

New Mexico Board of Regents Nominating Committees Amendment
Election date November 3, 2026
Topic Higher education governance
Status On the ballot
Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

The New Mexico Board of Regents Nominating Committees Amendment is on the ballot in New Mexico as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 3, 2026.

A "yes" vote supports making changes to the Board of Regents, including establishing nominating committees to provide lists of candidates; providing that student members are appointed from a list provided by student governing body, and; prohibiting non-student members from changing political party twelve months preceding appointment.

A "no" vote opposes making changes to the Board of Regents, including establishing nominating committees to provide lists of candidates; providing that student members are appointed from a list provided by student governing body, and; prohibiting non-student members from changing political party twelve months preceding appointment.

Text of measure

Full text

The full text of the measure can be read here.

Path to the ballot

A simple majority vote is required during one legislative session for the New Mexico State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 36 votes in the New Mexico House of Representatives and 22 votes in the New Mexico State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

House Joint Resolution 1

The following is a timeline of the amendment:

• January 20, 2026: The measure, House Joint Resolution 1, was introduced by Rep. Christine Chandler (D) in the House.
• February 6, 2026: The House approved the measure in a vote of 67-0, with three members not voting. Forty-two (42) Democrats voted yes, 25 Republicans voted yes; two Democrats and one Republican did not vote.
• February 17, 2026: The Senate approved the measure in a vote of 34-7, with one member not voting. Twenty (20) Democrats and 14 Republicans voted yes, five Democrats and two Republicans voted no, and one Democrat did not vote.

Partisan Direction Index = 2.6 (Bipartisan)

Democratic Support

92.5%

Republican Support

95.1%

How does this vote compare to other legislative ballot measures in 2026?
Learn more about the ballot measures PDI →

New Mexico House of Representatives

Voted on February 6, 2026

Votes Required to Pass: 36
	Yes	No	NV
Total	67	0	3
Total %	95.7	0	4.3
Democratic (D)	42	0	2
Republican (R)	25	0	1

New Mexico State Senate

Voted on February 17, 2026

Votes Required to Pass: 22
	Yes	No	NV
Total	34	7	1
Total %
Democratic (D)	20	5	1
Republican (R)	14	2	0

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in New Mexico

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in New Mexico.

How to vote in New Mexico

Poll times

In New Mexico, all polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time on Election Day. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in New Mexico, each applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of New Mexico, and at least 18 years old by the time of the next election. People convicted of a felony are eligible to vote after their prison time is completed, even if they are still on probation, parole, or another form of supervised release. Individuals who have been declared mentally incapacitated may not register to vote.

Potential New Mexico voters who were not registered automatically may use the New Mexico voter registration form, the national voter registration form, or the state's online voter registration portal to register. Completed registration materials may be mailed or delivered by hand to election officials. To register online, an applicant must have a state-issued ID. First-time applicants registering by mail must attach a valid form of identification to their registration materials. Acceptable forms of identification include a current and valid photo identification or a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, student identification card, or other government document, including tribal IDs that show the voter's name and current address.

Automatic registration

See also: Automatic voter registration

New Mexico has automatic voter registration. Eligible voters are automatically registered to vote when they interact with a department of motor vehicles unless they opt out.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

New Mexico has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

See also: Same-day voter registration

New Mexico allows same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

In New Mexico, individuals can register to vote as soon as they become residents of the state.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

New Mexico does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

Voter ID requirements

New Mexico does not require voters to present identification while voting, in most cases.

The federal Help America Vote Act requires that individuals in all 50 states who register to vote by mail and who have not voted previously in a federal election in their state must provide either their driver's license or a paycheck, bank statement, current utility bill, or government document showing their name and address. Individuals voting by mail must include a copy of one of those documents with their absentee/mail-in ballot.

These requirements do not apply if an individual submitted a copy of their identification, their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering to vote. Voters in New Mexico can present the following forms of identification:

• Current and valid photo identification
• Current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, student identification card, or other government document, including identification issued by an Indian nation, tribe, or pueblo that shows the voter’s name and current address

Some municipalities require identification when voting in local elections. Click here for more information.

External links

• New Mexico House Joint Resolution 1

See also

2026 ballot measures

View other measures certified for the 2026 ballot across the U.S. and in New Mexico.

• 2026 ballot measures
• New Mexico 2026 ballot measures
• New Mexico elections, 2026

New Mexico ballot measures

Explore New Mexico's ballot measure history, including constitutional amendments.

• List of New Mexico ballot measures
• Higher education governance ballot measures
• New Mexico State Legislature

Legislative process

Understand how measures are placed on the ballot and the rules that apply.

• Legislatively referred constitutional amendment
• New Mexico Constitution
• Amending state constitutions

Footnotes

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