Is New Mexico Finally Ready to Open Its Primary Elections?

ballots in a box.
Photo by Philip Oroni on Unsplash. Unplash+ license obtained by author.
Published: 13 Feb, 2025
2 min read

There are more than 330,000 registered independent voters in New Mexico. However, none of these voters have full access to the taxpayer-funded elections process as a result of the state's closed partisan primary system.

Despite several attempts to give independent voters an equal voice, reformers have not been able to get a bill through the legislature -- though progress has been made over the last decade.

The Senate Rules Committee voted 6-3 Wednesday to advance Senate Bill 16, a semi-open partisan primary bill that, if passed, would give independent voters the option to pick a major party's primary ballot in future elections.

Voters would still be limited in their choices. They would only be able to select candidates of a single party. However, the bill would allow them to participate in the most critical stage of the elections process.

After all, about half of legislative seats go uncontested in the general election each election cycle.

“We really think this is the year,” said Sila Avcil during Wednesday's committee hearing. Avcil is executive director of New Mexico Open Elections, which has worked on opening the state's primary elections since 2015.

The Senate is where open primaries legislation has seen the most success. In 2023, a similar bill got a bipartisan 27-10 vote, marking the first time primary reform not only got a floor vote, but cleared a legislative chamber. 

At the time, New Mexico Open Elections Founder Bob Perls said it was a sign that “sentiments are changing.” It also helps that semi-open primary reform has the support of Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver.

New Mexico is 1 of 24 states that does not have a citizen ballot initiative process, meaning any reform to state elections has to be approved by state lawmakers during short legislative sessions. 

IVP Donate

This timeframe, alone, can frustrate reformers because state lawmakers are only in session for 60 days in odd-numbered years -- and this is considered the long session compared to 30 days in even-numbered years.

As a result, lawmakers only take up matters like primary reform every other year because there are limitations on what bills can be considered in 30-day sessions -- unless the governor makes the issue a priority.

If Senate Bill 16 fails in 2025, reformers will more than likely have to wait until 2027 to try again. At stake are the voting rights of nearly a quarter of the registered voting population in New Mexico. 

You Might Also Like

Isn't It Weird That Congress Feels No Urgency to Re-Open the Government?
Isn't It Weird That Congress Feels No Urgency to Re-Open the Government?
The U.S. has entered Day 22 of the latest government shutdown with no end in sight. As pundits expect it to surpass the 35-day record set during Trump’s first term, a new Gallup poll shows voters’ approval of Congress has plummeted in the last month. Yet, for congressional leaders, there isn’t any urgency to re-open the government. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries trade jabs back and forth in the media, but the blame game continues to be prioritized over solutions....
22 Oct, 2025
-
5 min read
Partisan chess game.
The Gerrymandering Fight is About Democracy -- But Not for the Reasons You Think
The Texas GOP made two significant moves in the last few months to enhance their chances in the 2026 midterms. The first made national headlines and provoked a Democratic Party response. The second has flown under the radar....
20 Oct, 2025
-
4 min read
Joe Manchin
Joe Manchin on Taxpayer-Funded Primaries: 'They're Locking Us Out!'
While appearing on CNN host Michael Smerconish’s show, former Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, now a registered independent, told Smerconish that “we have to have open primaries” in order to get candidates who prioritize representation to run and have a chance to win....
17 Oct, 2025
-
2 min read
Partisan chess game.
The Gerrymandering Fight is About Democracy -- But Not for the Reasons You Think
The Texas GOP made two significant moves in the last few months to enhance their chances in the 2026 midterms. The first made national headlines and provoked a Democratic Party response. The second has flown under the radar....
20 Oct, 2025
-
4 min read
Isn't It Weird That Congress Feels No Urgency to Re-Open the Government?
Isn't It Weird That Congress Feels No Urgency to Re-Open the Government?
The U.S. has entered Day 22 of the latest government shutdown with no end in sight. As pundits expect it to surpass the 35-day record set during Trump’s first term, a new Gallup poll shows voters’ approval of Congress has plummeted in the last month. Yet, for congressional leaders, there isn’t any urgency to re-open the government. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries trade jabs back and forth in the media, but the blame game continues to be prioritized over solutions....
22 Oct, 2025
-
5 min read
Proposition 50 voter guide
California Prop 50: Partisan Power Play or Necessary Counterpunch?
November 4 marks a special election for what has become the most controversial ballot measure in California in recent memory: Proposition 50, which would circumvent congressional districts drawn by the state’s independent redistricting commission for a legislative-drawn map....
01 Oct, 2025
-
9 min read