New Mexico Bond Question 3, Public Education Bond Issue (2024)

New Mexico Bond Question 3
Election date November 5, 2024
Topic Bond issues
Status a Approved
Type Bond issue	Origin State Legislature

New Mexico Bond Question 3, the Public Education Bond Issue, was on the ballot in New Mexico as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 5, 2024. The ballot measure was approved.

A "yes" vote supported authorizing the state to issue $230.26 million in bonds to fund capital improvements and acquisitions for public higher education institutions, special public schools, and tribal schools.

A "no" vote opposed authorizing the state to issue $230.26 million in bonds to fund capital improvements and acquisitions for public higher education institutions, special public schools, and tribal schools.

Election results

See also: Results for education and school choice ballot measures, 2024

New Mexico Bond Question 3
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		530,807	65.70%
No		277,070	34.30%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Overview

What did Bond Question 3 fund?

See also: Text of measure

Bond Question 3 issued $230.3 million in bonds to fund various initiatives, including capital improvements and acquisitions at institutions of higher education, distinct schools, and tribal schools statewide. A general obligation bond is a public debt and is paid for through state funds, specifically funds from a statewide property tax in New Mexico.

Click [show] on the table below to view how the bond money was allocated.

New Mexico Public Education Bond Issue (2024)
Recipient	Amount
Board of Regents of Eastern New Mexico University	$5,300,000
Board of Regents of Eastern New Mexico University	$3,000,000
Board of Regents of Eastern New Mexico University	$2,000,000
Higher Education department	$10,000,000
Higher Education department	$6,000,000
Higher Education department	$2,000,000
Higher Education department	$5,000,000
Higher Education department	$4,000,000
Higher Education department	$1,000,000
Higher Education department	$1,000,000
Higher Education department	$3,250,000
Higher Education department	$1,000,000
Higher Education department	$480,000
Higher Education department	$3,700,000
Board of Regents of the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired	$4,800,000
Board of Regents of New Mexico Highlands University	$4,360,000
Board of Regents of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology	$8,500,000
Board of Regents of New Mexico military institute	$2,100,000
Board of Regents of the New Mexico School for the Deaf	$3,000,000
Board of Regents of New Mexico State University	$3,000,000
Board of Regents of New Mexico State University	$10,000,000
Board of Regents of New Mexico State University	$20,000,000
Board of Regents of New Mexico State University	$1,575,000
Board of Regents of New Mexico State University	$1,000,000
Board of Regents of New Mexico State University	$15,000,000
Board of Regents of Northern New Mexico State School	$5,000,000
Board of Regents of the University of New Mexico	$35,000,000
Board of Regents of the University of New Mexico	$52,000,000
Board of Regents of the University of New Mexico	$1,000,000
Board of Regents of the University of New Mexico	$4,000,000
Board of Regents of the University of New Mexico	$1,500,000
Board of Regents of the University of New Mexico	$1,000,000
Board of Regents of Western New Mexico University	$9,000,000

What was the history of bond measures in New Mexico?

See also: Background

Voters of New Mexico have cast ballots on 31 bond issues, totaling approximately $1.6 billion in value, from 2006 through the 2022 election. All but one bond issue question—a $155.57 million bond for higher education—was approved. This means that voters in New Mexico approved 96.8% of bond issues on the ballot between 2006 and 2022.

How did Bond Question 3 get on the ballot?

See also: Path to the ballot

In New Mexico, both chambers of the New Mexico State Legislature need to approve a bond issue by a simple majority during one legislative session to send a bond measure to the governor's desk.

The bond measure was introduced as House Bill 308 on January 31, 2024. It included four separate bond measure questions, including this measure. On February 7, 2024, the state House passed HB 308 in a vote of 67-0. On February 14, 2024, the state Senate passed HB 308 in a vote of 39-0. On March 6, 2024, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed the bill, sending the bond package to the 2024 ballot.

Text of measure

Ballot question

The ballot question was as follows:

“

The 2024 Capital Projects General Obligation Bond Act authorizes the issuance and sale of higher education, special schools and tribal schools capital improvement and acquisition bonds. Shall the state be authorized to issue general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed two hundred thirty million two hundred fifty-eight thousand four hundred dollars ($230,258,400) to make capital expenditures for certain higher education, special schools and tribal schools capital improvements and acquisitions and provide for a general property tax imposition and levy for the payment of principal of, interest on and expenses incurred in connection with the issuance of the bonds and the collection of the tax as permitted by law?

”

Full text

The full text of the ballot measure is below:

Readability score

See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2024

Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The state legislature wrote the ballot language for this measure.

The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 27, and the FRE is -2. The word count for the ballot title is 109.

Support

Ballotpedia did not locate a campaign in support of the ballot measure.

Supporters

Organizations

• Central New Mexico Community College Foundation
• Eastern New Mexico University Foundation
• NMSU Foundation
• New Mexico Highlands Foundation
• New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology Foundation
• New Mexico Junior College Foundation
• San Juan College Foundation
• Santa Fe Community College Foundation
• UNM Foundation
• Western New Mexico University Foundation

Arguments

• David Abbey and Ronnie Birdsong, chairpersons of the GO Bonds for Education Committee: "This fall, voters can invest nearly $230 million in our state’s public colleges, universities, and specialty schools serving blind, deaf, visually impaired or hard of hearing students without raising their property tax rates. Supporting General Obligation Bond 3 would provide funding to pay for renovations, safety improvements, technology upgrades and replacement of decades-old facilities at educational institutions in 29 communities across 23 counties throughout New Mexico. It would also create an estimated 2,300 new jobs. ... In most instances, general obligation bonds are the only source of funding available for these projects. Again, support of Bond 3 will not raise property tax rates for voters. It is an investment in higher education, our state’s economy and our future."

Opposition

Ballotpedia did not locate a campaign in opposition to the ballot measure.

Arguments

You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Campaign finance

The campaign finance information on this page reflects the most recent scheduled reports that Ballotpedia has processed, which covered through October 29, 2024. The deadline for the next scheduled reports was January 7, 2025.

See also: Campaign finance requirements for New Mexico ballot measures

GO Bonds for Education registered as a political action committee (PAC) to support Question 3.

	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Support	$350,500.00	$0.00	$350,500.00	$78,753.23	$78,753.23
Oppose	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Total	$350,500.00	$0.00	$350,500.00	$78,753.23	$78,753.23

Support

The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committee supporting the measure.

Committees in support of Bond Question 3
Committee	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
GO Bonds for Education	$350,500.00	$0.00	$350,500.00	$78,753.23	$78,753.23
Total	$350,500.00	$0.00	$350,500.00	$78,753.23	$78,753.23

Donors

The following were the top donors to the committee.

Donor	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions
UNM Foundation	$130,000.00	$0.00	$130,000.00
NMSU Foundation	$80,000.00	$0.00	$80,000.00
Central New Mexico Community College Foundation	$33,600.00	$0.00	$33,600.00
Eastern New Mexico University Foundation	$19,500.00	$0.00	$19,500.00
Western New Mexico University Foundation	$12,600.00	$0.00	$12,600.00

Background

Voter approval of bonds in New Mexico

See also: Section 8 of Article IX of the New Mexico Constitution

Section 8 of Article IX of the New Mexico Constitution authorizes the state to pass a law to contract debt in the form of general obligation bonds and levy a tax. The law must be voted upon by a simple majority of voters and published in full in at least one newspaper in each county of the state. The state constitution also limits the amount of state debt: "No debt shall be so created if the total indebtedness of the state, exclusive of the debts of the territory, and the several counties thereof, assumed by the state, would thereby be made to exceed one percent of the assessed valuation of all the property subject to taxation in the state as shown by the preceding general assessment."

General obligation bond debt

The New Mexico state treasurer provides an overview of the state’s debt resulting from general obligation bonds, which include all voter-approved bonds, each year on June 30. A general obligation bond is public debt and is paid for through state funds, specifically funds from a statewide property tax in New Mexico.

According to the state treasurer's overview on June 30, 2022, New Mexico had $414.365 million in debt from general obligation bonds. The graph below provides an illustration of state debt from general obligation bonds between June 30, 1998, and June 30, 2022:

Using population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, Ballotpedia calculated the per person amount of general obligation bond debt in New Mexico by year. On June 30, 2022, the general obligation bond debt per New Mexican resident was $196.06. Between 1998 and 2022, the per person debt peaked in 2021 at $288.80. The graph below provides an illustration of state debt from general obligation bonds per New Mexican resident between June 30, 1998, and June 30, 2022:

Bond issues on the ballot in New Mexico

See also: Bond issues on the ballot

Voters of New Mexico have cast ballots on 31 bond issues, totaling approximately $1.6 billion in value, from 2006 through the 2022 election. All but one bond issue question—a $155.57 million bond for higher education—was approved. This means that voters in New Mexico approved 96.8% of bond issues on the ballot between 2006 and 2022.

The following table contains information on the 31 bond issues that appeared on the ballot in New Mexico between 2006 and 2022:

Click [show] on the table below to view the list of New Mexico bonds.

Year	Measure	Amount	Primary purpose	Outcome
2006	Question A	$15,958,000	Senior citizen facilities	a
2006	Question B	$118,360,000	Higher education	a
2006	Question C	$9,090,000	Public libraries	a
2008	Question A	$14,725,000	Senior citizen facilities	a
2008	Question B	$11,019,000	Public libraries	a
2008	Question C	$57,925,000	Health facilities	a
2008	Question D	$140,133,000	Higher education	a
2010	Question A	$7,790,320	Senior citizen facilities	a
2010	Question B	$7,082,110	Public libraries	a
2010	Question C	$5,100,000	K-12 education	a
2010	Question D	$155,567,824	Higher education	d
2012	Question A	$10,335,000	Senior citizen facilities	a
2012	Question B	$9,830,000	Public libraries	a
2012	Question C	$120,000,000	Higher education	a
2014	Question A	$17,000,000	Senior citizen facilities	a
2014	Question B	$11,000,000	Public libraries	a
2014	Question C	$141,000,000	Higher education	a
2016	Question A	$15,440,000	Senior citizen facilities	a
2016	Question B	$10,167,000	Public libraries	a
2016	Question C	$142,356,000	Higher education	a
2016	Question D	$18,196,000	Public safety facilities	a
2018	Question A	$10,700,000	Senior citizen facilities	a
2018	Question B	$12,876,000	Public libraries	a
2018	Question C	$6,137,000	School buses	a
2018	Question D	$128,405,000	Higher education	a
2020	Question A	$33,300,000	Senior citizen facilities	a
2020	Question B	$9,700,000	Public libraries	a
2020	Question C	$156,300,000	Higher education	a
2022	Question 1	$24,470,000	Senior citizen facilities	a
2022	Question 2	$19,266,000	Public libraries	a
2022	Question 3	$215,986,000	Higher education	a

Path to the ballot

See also: Legislatively-referred state statute

In New Mexico, general obligation bonds require voter approval.

A simple majority vote is required during one legislative session for the New Mexico State Legislature to place a bond issue 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. State bond issues require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot. The governor can use a partial veto to remove projects from bond legislation.

The bond issue was introduced as a package as HB 308. It passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 67-0 on February 7, 2024. It passed in the Senate by a vote of 39-0 on February 14, 2024. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed the bill on March 6, 2024.

Vote in the New Mexico House of Representatives February 7, 2024
Requirement: Simple majority of all members in each chamber
Number of yes votes required: 36  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	67	0	3
Total percent	95.7%	0.0%	4.3%
Democrat	42	0	3
Republican	25	0	0

Vote in the New Mexico State Senate February 14, 2024
Requirement: Simple majority of all members in each chamber
Number of yes votes required: 22  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	39	0	3
Total percent	92.86%	0.00%	7.14%
Democrat	25	0	2
Republican	14	0	1

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, which includes 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. 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. However, if an individual registered to vote for the first time by mail and did not provide verification of his or her identity then, the voter will have to show identification.

Those voters 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.

See also

2024 measures

• 2024 ballot measures
• Bond issues on the ballot

New Mexico

• New Mexico ballot measures
• New Mexico ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• Full text