Election Information for NM Voters

2026 Primary Election

Timeline:

April 7	Permanent absentee DTS voters can register which party they want to vote for (see below, "Who Can Vote in the Primary?")
May 5	early in-person voting begins; first absentee ballots are mailed; deadline for Democrat and Republican party change
May 16	expanded early voting begins
May 19	deadline for an absentee ballot application to be received at the County Clerk's office
May 30	early voting ends
June 2	primary election

You can register, check on your registration, or request an absentee ballot or permanent absentee status at the Secretary of State's election portal nmvote.org.

Absentee Voting

Request an absentee ballot by filling out an application and returning it to your local County Clerk. How to apply:

Fill out an application online on the Voting Portal accessed from the Secretary of State's website
Contact your County Clerk’s Office in person, phone, mail or email
Download an Absentee Ballot Application here and mail or hand deliver it to your County Clerk’s Office

As of 2024, you can now request permanent vote-by-mail status, after which you will automatically be mailed a ballot without needing to request one each time.

Our Voter Guide is Now live!

We have an online nonpartisan Voter Guide covering the whole state of New Mexico. It's available at Vote411.org. See what your candidates have to say about the issues!

In areas with local Leagues (Southern NM, Central NM, Santa Fe and Los Alamos) we also distribute printed Voter Guides.

Vote411 Tips and Tricks

Enter your street address, then click on Submit.

On the next screen, scroll down about halfway, then click on Save and View Races.

Click View Race for a race you're interested in. Then you can click on a single candidate to see how they have answered questions about qualifications, issues, and proposals. Or check the box for View Answers for several candidates — or all of them — to compare their answers (scroll down to see answers for all the candidates you've selected).

Don't want to put your address into VOTE411?

Vote411 asks for you address so that it can figure out what districts you're in, to show you a customized ballot. But it doesn't have to be your own home address. You can give the address of some nearby public building, like the public library or city hall.

Just make sure the address you give is close enough that it's in all the same districts. You can view districts on our District Maps page.

You can also view all races statewide. Go to www.vote411.org/ballot and scroll down to the gray box with the copyright message around the middle of the page. Click All Races, then New Mexico.

Navigating Between Races

Don't use your browser's Back and Forward buttons. Instead, scroll up and under KNOW YOUR BALLOT, just below your address and above RACE DETAILS, there's a button for ← Back to all races.

Semi-Open Primary: Who Can Vote in the Primary in 2026?

This year for the first time New Mexico will have a semi-open primary. The state of New Mexico recognizes only four political parties for the purposes of primary elections: Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, and Green. A person who listed any other party name, did not specify a party, or wrote Declined to State (DTS), would be considered DTS for the purpose of the primary election. Those considered as DTS can participate in primary elections without having to change their voter registration. They may request either a Republican or a Democratic ballot at the polls. If they wish to vote absentee, they will be able to request the ballot of one of the major political parties when they apply for an absentee ballot.

Same day voter registration (SDR) is available to those who are not registered. It is also available to voters registered with a minor party (Libertarian or Green), who wish to register with one of the two major parties and vote. You may need photo ID or other proof of address (see below under Registering to Vote) if you want to use SDR at the polls.

Voters registered as Republican or Democratic can change their registration on May 5 or earlier. They cannot use SDR to switch parties. They can use SDR to change their name, address, or other contact information.

"Permament absentee" Decline-to-State voters, who normally get a ballot mailed to them automatically, will be able to choose a major party ballot by via the portal at sos.nm.gov/primary after April 7, 2026.

All voters, particularly those who recently changed their registration forms, should check their registration status. To check your voter registration status, go to: voterportal.servis.sos.state.nm.us/wheretovote.aspx . Note that any registration changes made after May 5, whether with the SOS website, on paper, or at MVD will not take effect until after the primary election on June 2, 2026.

The Secretary of State is still working out how DTS mail-in voters will be able to request a primary ballot. Stay tuned.

To Vote in the Primary:

Republican and Democratic Voters	Minor Party Voters (Libertarian, Green)	Decline-to-State (DTS) and Smaller Party Voters
No change unless they want to change their party, then they must do so by May 5th and cannot use SDR	Must change their party to Democrat, Republican or DTS; can use Same Day Registration to make the change	Can vote in the Primary without changing their registration

Registered as	Have to Change Party to Vote?	Can Change Party with Same-Day Registration?
Republican, Democrat	No	No
Libertarian, Green	Yes	Yes
DTS, other	No	Yes

Registering to Vote

Who’s eligible to vote in New Mexico?

A U.S. citizen who is a New Mexico resident and at least 18 years old on Election Day. (17-year-olds can register to vote as long as they'll be 18 by election day.)
Someone who has not been denied the right to vote by a court of law because of mental incapacity.
A person who is not a convicted felon or is a felon who has completed all of the terms and conditions of sentencing

You can register to vote online at the NM Secretary of State website.

Supply your social security number, your driver’s license number or state identification number, and your date of birth, and you’re done. Online registration is safe, quick, and accurate.
You can also register at your county clerk’s office, at a New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) site or public assistance or health office, or through a third-party registrar. You can also print the national voter registration form online, fill it out and mail to the Secretary of State or your county clerk.

Newly registered voters who submitted the registration form by mail will need to submit some proof of ID when they vote:

a current or expired New Mexico state identification; or
a 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 your name and current address.

Already registered?

Confirm that your current voter registration is up-to-date and your social security number is correct.
Find out what’s on your ballot, voting dates and locations as well as absentee ballot information.
Update your registration if your legal name or address has changed. You can also declare a major political party and/or change your party affiliation.