History
From Closed Doors to Open Access
Since the founding of our state, New Mexico operated under a closed primary system. If you weren't registered with a qualified major party, you couldn't vote in the primary elections unless you went through the burdensome steps of changing your registration.
The movement for fairness:
- 2025 Milestone: A bipartisan group of legislators recognized that roughly 25% of New Mexicans—including 49% of our veterans and a majority of young voters—are registered independents and were left out of consequential elections, the primaries.
- Coalition: In New Mexico, a broad and diverse coalition of more than 20 organizations worked to support semi-open primaries, including groups like NM Native Vote, Common Cause New Mexico, Veterans for All Voters New Mexico, NM Voters First, and NM Comunidades en Acción y de Fé (NMCAFé). The work of this coalition continues to inform and encourage independent voters to use their newfound voting rights.
- The Law: Senate Bill 16 was signed into law by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, making New Mexico only the second state in the country to adopt semi-open primaries through the legislature.
- Why It Matters: Semi-open primaries encourage candidates to focus on real solutions for all families and give more voice to all voters, not just hyperpartisan voters.