Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Voting in New Mexico
|
Select a state from the menu below to learn more about its voting policies. |
The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.
This article includes the following information about voting policies in New Mexico:
- Voter registration details, including deadlines and eligibility requirements.
- In-person voting details, including identification requirements, poll times, and early voting provisions.
- Absentee/mail-in voting deadlines and rules.
- Details about voting rules for people convicted of a felony.
- Contact information for election agencies.
Click here for more information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, post-election auditing practices, and additional election policy context.
For information on elections happening this year, click here.
Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.
Voter registration
Eligibility and registration details
- 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.[1]
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.[1]
In-person voting
Poll times
- See also: State poll opening and closing 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.[2][3]
Voter identification
- See also: Voter identification laws by state
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.[4]
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
- See also: 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/mail-in voting
- See also: Absentee/mail-in voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in New Mexico. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[5]
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.[5][6]
Local election officials
Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool. |
Voting rules for people convicted of a felony
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.[7]
Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[8]
Contact information
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in New Mexico can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
New Mexico County Clerks
New Mexico Secretary of State: Elections Division
- 325 Don Gaspar, Suite 300
- Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501-4401
- Phone: 505-827-3600
- Email: elections@sos.nm.gov
- Website: https://www.sos.nm.gov
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
- Washington, DC 20001
- Phone: 301-563-3919
- Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
- Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov
- Website: https://www.eac.gov
Explore election legislation with Ballotpedia
- Try Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation TrackerBallotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker provides daily updates on legislative activity related to election policy in all 50 states.
Our election policy experts translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries. And because it's from Ballotpedia, our legislation tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan. - Read Ballotpedia's State of Election Administration Legislation ReportsBallotpedia publishes regular analysis of election administration legislation, including three full reports per year, providing ongoing coverage of legislative activity affecting election policy in each state.
These reports deliver insights into partisan priorities, dive deep into notable trends, and highlight activity in key states.
Subscribe to The Ballot BulletinThe Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy.
The newsletter tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballotpedia's election coverage
- United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2026
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2026
- Democratic Party gubernatorial primaries, 2026
- Democratic Party Secretary of State primaries, 2026
- Democratic Party Attorney General primaries, 2026
- State legislative Democratic primaries, 2026
- United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2026
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2026
- Republican Party gubernatorial primaries, 2026
- Republican Party Secretary of State primaries, 2026
- Republican Party Attorney General primaries, 2026
- State legislative Republican primaries, 2026
See also
- State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
- Voter ID in New Mexico
- Election administration in New Mexico
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in New Mexico
Elections in New Mexico
- New Mexico elections, 2025
- New Mexico elections, 2024
- New Mexico elections, 2023
- New Mexico elections, 2022
- New Mexico elections, 2021
- New Mexico elections, 2020
- New Mexico elections, 2019
- New Mexico elections, 2018
- New Mexico elections, 2017
- New Mexico elections, 2016
- New Mexico elections, 2015
- New Mexico elections, 2014
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 New Mexico Secretary of State, “Voter Registration Information,” accessed June 24, 2025
- ↑ New Mexico Compilation Commission, "New Mexico Statutes - Chapter 1, Article 12.1," accessed June 24, 2025
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "Voter Bill of Rights," accessed June 24, 2025
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "Voting," accessed June 24, 2025
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 New Mexico Secretary of State, "Absentee and Early Voting," accessed June 24, 2025
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "Absentee Voting by Mail," accessed June 24, 2025
- ↑ New Mexico Compilation Commission, "New Mexico Statutes - Chapter 1, Article 1-4-27.1," accessed June 25, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," accessed June 25, 2025
![]() |
State of New Mexico Santa Fe (capital) |
---|---|
Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |