New Mexico state legislative Republican primaries, 2018

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2018 New Mexico
State Legislature elections
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GeneralNovember 6, 2018
PrimaryJune 5, 2018
2018 elections
Choose a chamber below:


The Republican primary elections for seats in the New Mexico House of Representatives were on June 5, 2018. For information about the Democratic primary elections in New Mexico, click here.

The general election was on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 13, 2018. In the state House, all 70 seats were up for election. No Senate seats were up for election.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • As of November 2017, New Mexico was one of 18 states under divided government and not one of the 32 states under a state government trifecta. A state government trifecta is a term used to describe a single-party government where one political party holds the governor's office and a majority in both chambers of the state legislature. To find out more about state government trifectas, click here.

  • Incumbents who did not advance to the general election

    Retiring incumbents

    Six Republican state House incumbents did not seek re-election.

    Competitiveness

    See also: 2018 primary election competitiveness in state and federal government and New Mexico state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018

    There were eight open seats in 2018, which was equal to the number of open seats in 2016 and less than the 11 open seats in 2014. The 13 contested Democratic primaries was down from 24 in 2016 but up from 12 in 2014. The 4 contested Republican primaries was down from 6 in 2016 and 2014. The 70 candidates running was up down 112 in 2016 and equal to the total number of candidates that ran in 2014.

    Year Total seats Open seats Total candidates Democratic primaries contested Republican primaries contested Total contested Incumbents contested in primaries Total incumbents contested in primaries
    2018 70 8 123 13 4 12.1% 10 16.1%
    2016 112 8 200 24 6 13.4% 9 8.7%
    2014 70 11 125 12 6 12.9% 7 11.9%

    Partisan control

    The tables below show the partisan breakdowns of the New Mexico House of Representatives and the New Mexico State Senate as of June 2018:

    New Mexico House of Representatives

    Party As of June 2018
         Democratic Party 38
         Republican Party 32
         Vacancies 0
    Total 70

    New Mexico State Senate

    Party As of June 2018
         Democratic Party 26
         Republican Party 16
         Vacancies 0
    Total 42

    Voter information

    How the primary works

    A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. New Mexico utilizes a semi-closed primary process; participation in each party's primary is limited to registered party members and unaffiliated voters.[1][2][3][4]

    For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

    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.[5][6]

    Registration requirements

    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.[7]

    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.[7]

    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.[8][9]

    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.[10]

    Residency requirements

    In New Mexico, individuals can register to vote as soon as they become residents of the state.[11]

    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.[12]

    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.[13] 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. 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.[14]

    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.

    Early voting

    New Mexico permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website. Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

    Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

    Absentee voting

    All voters are eligible to vote absentee in New Mexico. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[15]

    The county clerk must receive the absentee ballot application no later than the 14th day before the election. A voter may request an absentee ballot by filling out and returning an application form, or by completing an online application. Completed ballots must be returned to the county clerk or voter's precinct before 7 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted.[15][16]


    See also

    Footnotes

    1. New Mexico Legislature, "2025 Regular Session - SB 16," accessed June 20, 2025
    2. National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed August 22, 2024
    3. Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
    4. New Mexico Secretary of State, "FAQs for Primary & General Election Candidacy," accessed August 22, 2024
    5. New Mexico Compilation Commission, "New Mexico Statutes - Chapter 1, Article 12.1," accessed June 24, 2025
    6. New Mexico Secretary of State, "Voter Bill of Rights," accessed June 24, 2025
    7. 7.0 7.1 New Mexico Secretary of State, “Voter Registration Information,” accessed June 24, 2025
    8. New Mexico Compilation Commission, "New Mexico Statutes - Chapter 1, Article 1-4-5.2", accessed June 24, 2025
    9. New Mexico Compilation Commission, "New Mexico Statutes - Chapter 1, Article 1-4-5.8", accessed June 24, 2025
    10. New Mexico Compilation Commission, "New Mexico Statutes - Chapter 1, Article 1-4-5.7", accessed June 24, 2025
    11. New Mexico Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Eligibility Requirements and FAQs," accessed June 24, 2025
    12. The State of New Mexico, "Voter Registration Form," accessed June 24, 2025
    13. Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
    14. New Mexico Secretary of State, "Voting," accessed June 24, 2025
    15. 15.0 15.1 New Mexico Secretary of State, "Absentee and Early Voting," accessed June 24, 2025
    16. New Mexico Secretary of State, "Absentee Voting by Mail," accessed June 24, 2025