League of Women Voters of New Mexico

What we do

The League of Women Voters has worked since 1920 to improve local, state and national government and strengthen our communities through citizen education and action.

The League of Women Voters is nonpartisan; it never supports or opposes candidates or political parties. The League does take action on issues of importance to its members and the community, after studying them in depth.

Membership is open to all residents of the United States, both women and men, who are 16 years or older. Find out more.

Video: Redistricting in New Mexico: A Troubled History & Opportunities for Change

Writer and reporter Gwyneth Doland, of New Mexico In Depth, speaks about the historical aspects of redistricting in New Mexico, how they impact redistricting today, and what we might expect in redistricting 2021. Doland is the author of Redistricting NM 2021; A troubled history and opportunities for change.

View the video of our webinar on Redistricting in New Mexico.

The passcode is: S$%=7s@H

Want to do your own redistricting for New Mexico?

Check out an open source program developed by the MGGG Lab atTufts University. Advocates in New Mexico have tried this and have been impressed. Main link: https://districtr.org/. Or go straight to the link for New Mexico. Read about details of the software (PDF).

Advocacy Workshop December 5

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico Presents:
Effective Citizen Advocacy at the Legislature.

Saturday, December 5 - 10 am to noon, online. The public is invited.

Learn tips from legislators and a professional lobbyist on how to interact with legislators, speak at hearings, and advocate for your cause.

For more details, useful documents and a registration link, see the Action page.

Current Activities

The League is leading the Fair Districts for New Mexico Project, promoting fair and transparent redistricting for New Mexico following the 2020 census. Please visit the Fair Districts web site for updates.

The 2020 Census is also of critical importance to New Mexico. We'll be working to get every New Mexican counted. Read about it on our 2020 Census page.

Our Action Committee is gearing up for the 2021 legislative session; stay tuned for information on League Day and our legislative priorities for this session.

For more ongoing activities, see our Programs page.

Logo of La Palabra

Latest La Palabra

The Fall 2020 La Palabra (PDF, 4.2 Mb) newsletter is out.

LWVNM Primary Elections position re-analysis; Legislative Advocacy Workshop Dec. 5; Judicial Selection process; Absentee ballot processing; Redistricting; Local League News.

Keep up to date by reading La Palabra!

For issues of La Palabra dating back to 2005, see the Newsletters page.

Recent LWVNM News

100 Years of Women Voting: a Virtual Gala

August 23 and 26, 2020:

Here’s to the 2020 Women’s Vote Centennial!

Some events in the video:

Justice Judith Nakamura, 47 minutes in, importance of everyone voting
Pamelya Herndon and Rayetta Davey, 53 minutes in-profoundly moving-discrimination to inclusion
Congresswoman Deb Haaland, exactly 1 hour in
Mary Oishi, 1 hour 42 minutes in, poet laureate on democracy
Sylvia Ramos Cruz, 2 hours 15 minutes in, NM suffrage history overview
Meredith Machen, 3 hours 29 minutes, why women needed and still need good
Fionnuala Moore, 3: 32 minutes, ending the program with power and commitment

Kerner Commission Webinar

June 16, 2020:

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico hosted a webinar with former Senator Fred Harris (D-OK), now a resident of Corrales and an adjunct professor at UNM. He discussed the current demonstrations and how the findings of the Kerner Commission (issued after the civil unrest of the 1960s) can help us better understand the frustrations of the African American community.

Transfer of Federal Public Lands Now a National Position!

June 27, 2020:

The LWVUS Convention was held the weekend of June 26-27 and we scored a major victory! Our Transfer of Federal Public Lands position was adopted by concurrence. As a concurrence, we needed a two-thirds vote, but after debate on Friday we weren’t sure it would pass. Many delegates hadn’t read the position or didn’t understand it and its rationale. But on Saturday a delegate from Florida moved to allow more debate. We had some good speakers in favor. In addition, we sent a new message to the LWVUS leaders list stating the position and why it is important. Finally, Judy Williams pasted the position itself into the Q&A so the delegates could see it.

Now the LWVNM position on the Transfer of Federal Public lands is a national position! Delegates from the Western states were supportive, particularly those from Utah, Montana and Nevada.

You can get more details about the caucus and the position, and watch the video, on our Transfer of Federal Public Lands page.

Read the Guest Column in the Albuquerque Journal, July 7 2020, by Hannah Burling And Christine Furlanetto (paywalled, but you can read the original here: Federal Public Lands are for All Americans).

For older news items, see the LWVNM News Archive.

How to Contact Your Legislator

Want to connect with your legislator? See our page on Contact Info for New Mexico Legislators.

Want to reach NM’s Congressional delegation? The Congressional toll-free number is 1-866-727-4894 . Just ask for your representative or senator. Please remember that you are speaking as an individual and not for the League.