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Photo by Theresa Thompson/Flickr
Legislation that would allow a person to register to vote then immediately cast a ballot at early voting sites is scheduled in final committees in both the House and Senate this week. Proponents say it would increase access to elections at the same time it improves the accuracy, transparency, and efficiency of how voter registration files are maintained. Detractors voice concern that without an official government issued photo ID, the possibility of voter fraud will increase.
In order to both register and vote at early voting sites, the bills would require a person to present a physical ID, which could be either a government issued ID or a current copy of common documents that prove residency, such as utility bills, bank statements, or other forms of government documents.
The bills also require that the registration be entered into the state online voter database on the spot so that county clerks can verify the person isn’t registered and voting elsewhere in the same election. If the online database isn’t operational, the voter would be given a provisional ballot instead of a regular ballot. The bill would also allow currently registered voters to update their registration information. Neither bill allows same day voter registration on Election Day itself.
The legislation has been endorsed by New Mexico Secretary of State Mary Herrera, who voiced support for the Senate version when it was heard in the Senate Rules committee earlier this week, as well as the New Mexico County Clerks Affiliate, which represents all county clerks in the state.
Allowing same-day registration and voting during the early voting period would increase the accuracy of the statewide voter file and save the state “an enormous amount of money” by reducing the waste of sending election related mail to the wrong address, said Lea County Clerk Pat Chappelle and Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver in a late January Albuquerque Journal opinion piece. Plus, the duo said, it would provide a good alternative to third-party registration drives that often produce inaccurate information.
“This bill allows voters to register directly with a representative of a county clerk, making for a simpler, more transparent registration process, and we believe it will lessen the desire for third-party groups to register voters themselves,” the two stated in the piece. “As county clerks, we are committed to uncomplicated, accessible voter registration and election processes.”
The two clerks explicitly identified themselves as a bi-partisan pair.
“This is not a partisan issue. One of us is an elected Republican, the other is an elected Democrat,” they said.
The bill would also eliminate a barrier often experienced by would be first time voters, said Steve Allen, Executive Director of the good government group Common Cause, in an email to The Independent.
“Right now in New Mexico, you have to register at least 28 days before an election if you want to vote,” Allen told The Independent. “Many people dipping into politics for the first time don’t start getting excited about an election until a couple weeks before Election Day, when the media starts really covering races. This is especially true of state and local races.”
“So young people and others often end up finding out they won’t be able to vote because of this unreasonable deadline. Early voting registration strengthens our democracy by opening up the process to more qualified citizens,” Allen said.
Some have expressed concern, however, that not requiring a government issued ID that includes a photograph will lead to voter fraud. During the Senate Rules committee on Monday, Sen. Dianna Duran, R-Tularosa, introduced an amendment to the bill that would have required a government-issued photo ID, arguing that it would help prevent voter fraud. Her amendment ultimately failed.
Duran’s comments were countered by representatives of the All Indian Pueblo Council and the Native American Voters Alliance, who argued that many Native Americans don’t have government issued photo ID’s. Many tribal governments don’t issue photo ID’s, they said. Nor do all Native Americans have state issued driver’s licenses.
The bill would also help greatly in reducing barriers that exist among tribal populations currently for increasing the voting population, they continued. Those barriers include lack of transportation in rural areas and work obligations that make taking a day off to vote a difficult undertaking for many.
On the Senate side, Sen. John Sapien’s SB 161 is on the agenda for the Senate Judiciary committee Wednesday afternoon. Rep. Jim Trujillo’s HB 123 has been passed on to the House Voter’s and Election committee Thursday morning.
