New Mexico Legislature Sends Pro-Voting Bill to Governor
UPDATE: On Thursday, March 30, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed House Bill 4 into law.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Monday, March 13, the New Mexico Legislature sent House Bill 4, the New Mexico Voting Rights Act, to the desk of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) for her signature. The omnibus, pro-voting bill would establish automatic voter registration, restore voting rights for individuals who are no longer incarcerated for a felony conviction (impacting upwards of 11,000 New Mexicans on parole or probation), create a permanent absentee voter list, allow the state to offer more drop boxes, enact the Native American Voting Rights Act and more.
H.B. 4 passed the Democratic-controlled House on Feb. 21 and the Democratic-controlled Senate on March 8. The bill passed the Senate after three hours of debate and several failed attempts by Republican senators to adopt floor amendments. However, because a Senate committee previously adopted an amendment to strike one section governing the use of voter information and make a few other small tweaks, the House had to vote one more time and agree to the changes. Now that the House concurs, H.B. 4 heads to Lujan Grisham.