This bill amends existing election laws in New Mexico to allow voters who have not designated a major political party affiliation on their registration certificates to participate in primary elections. Specifically, it enables these voters to affiliate with a major political party by requesting that party's ballot during the primary election process. The bill introduces new provisions that clarify how voters can change their party affiliation and participate in primaries, including the ability to request a ballot from a major political party without changing their official party affiliation on their registration certificate.

Additionally, the bill makes conforming changes to various sections of the election code, including the process for applying for mailed ballots and the conduct of elections. It specifies that voters who have declined to designate a party affiliation or who are affiliated with a non-major party can still request a major party's ballot in a primary election. The effective date for these changes is set for July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 1-4-15, 1-6-4, 1-6-22.1, 1-12-7, 1-12-7.1, 1-12-7.2, 1-12-20, 1-15A-2