SM 12 — RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OPEN PRIMARY ELECTIONS

SENATE MEMORIAL 12 54THTH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION , 2020 INTRODUCED BY Bill Tallman 6This 8document 10incorporates Aamendments MEMORIALthat REQUESTINGhave THEbeen SECRETARYadopted OFduring STATEthe TOcurrent STUDYlegislative ANDsession. PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS ON INSTITUTING OPEN PRIMARY ELECTIONS.

14The WHEREAS,document increasingis participationa intool allto levelsshow of the politicalamendments processin willcontext produceand ais strongernot mandate to govern;be used for the purpose of amendments.

andA eMEMORIAL tREQUESTING 17THE WHEREAS,SECRETARY twenty-fiveOF percentSTATE ofTO allSTUDY NewAND MexicoPROVIDE votersh wRECOMMENDATIONS lON nINSTITUTING dOPEN 18PRIMARY chooseELECTIONS. not to affiliate with a major political party;

andg =o =t 19hr ag le i k WHEREAS, sixtyincreasing percentparticipation ofin youngerall voterslevels chooseof tothe beh r i as epolitical rprocess 20will independentproduce voters;a stronger mandate to govern;

h , t, e u g and ae tb ml me 21e h WHEREAS, voters'twenty-five taxpercent dollarsof shouldall notNew fundMexico electionsvoters n d rd ei 22= those= voterso cannoth participatechoose in;not to affiliate with a major political party;

and cl e] sb k,d 23i WHEREAS, New Mexico as a stateº hase amongWHEREAS, thesixty lowestpercent rateof eyounger avoters nchoose bto 24be ofr voteri turnout= andr thet higheste ratew ofd non-competitivem ua [n electionso ind them country;:

andb .216354.2.216354.2AIC WHEREAS,February increasing7, participation2020 in(4:37pm) alle levelsd ofs theº politicalo processt willn strengthen= democracys andk providem increasede civile discourse;a n e d r e l u [ A d independent voters;

and WHEREAS, semi-openvoters' primariestax allowdollars non-affiliatedshould votersnot tofund participateelections exclusivelythose invoters onecannot primaryparticipate andin; increase the responsiveness of primary candidates to their communities;

and WHEREAS, denyingNew participationMexico inas primarya electionsstate ishas aamong formthe lowest rate of disenfranchisement;voter turnout and the highest rate of non-competitive elections in the country;

NOW,and THEREFORE,WHEREAS, BEincreasing ITparticipation RESOLVEDin BYall THElevels SENATEof OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the secretarypolitical ofprocess statewill bestrengthen requesteddemocracy to study open primaries, in their various forms, and developprovide recommendationsincreased oncivil institutingdiscourse; a form of open primaries in the state;

andSRCº BEand»SRC ITSRCº FURTHERWHEREAS, RESOLVEDsemi-open thatprimaries theallow secretarynon-affiliated ofvoters state provide recommendations for legislation to openparticipate Newexclusively Mexico'sin one primary electionsand toincrease the appropriateresponsiveness interimof legislativeprimary committeecandidates eto etheir 17communities; before November 1, 2020;

and eWHEREAS, edenying nparticipation din 18primary BEelections ITis FURTHERa RESOLVEDform thatof copiesdisenfranchisement;»SRC ofNOW, thisTHEREFORE, memorialBE beIT =RESOLVED =BY lTHE ]SENATE 19OF transmittedTHE toSTATE OF NEW MEXICO that the secretary of state be requested to study h open primaries, in their various forms, and thedevelop co-chairsu of» ther t h recommendations on instituting a lform rof iopen 20primaries Newin Mexicothe legislativeg council.e l i state;

tand h r i s BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the secretary of state provide h , e ah t -u 2g -recommendations mfor mlegislation 21to eopen dNew rMexico's primary e 22b cl e re c, 23gh eelections ato the appropriate interim legislative committee n bd 24d ui [= .216354.2= o h before November 1, 2020;

and l ] b ,d i a º r e r = BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be t e w d m a n o d m :

b .216354.2AIC February 7, 2020 (4:37pm) r e t º o t n = s k m e - 2 - e a n e d r e l u [ A d transmitted to the secretary of state and the co-chairs of the New Mexico legislative council.

- 3 - » g o » r h t i k l i g t h s , e h t l i w l b l e e , g n d l h = = b , a l º d i a r e r = , a t e d m a n o d m :

b .216354.2AIC February 7, 2020 (4:37pm) r e t º o t n = s k em e e a n e d r e l u [ A d