Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Open primaries legislation breaks through in New Mexico

Open primaries legislation breaks through in New Mexico
Manuel Augusto Moreno/Getty Images

Bob Perls, a former NM State Representative, is the Founder/President of NMOE, and Sila Avcil is the organization’s Executive Director.

In a historic move, the New Mexico Senate has just passed a semi-open primary elections bill, which allows registered independents and minor party affiliates to participate in primary elections without having to change their voter registration. The legislation passed with a vote of 27-10, with support from both Democrats and Republicans, and is seen as a significant step towards increasing voter participation in primary elections. Though 41 states have some form of open primaries, nearly all have a legislative bypass through the ability of citizens to change laws through ballot initiative. New Mexico does not allow citizen referenda and getting any legislature in the U.S. to open up primaries has been next to impossible.


New Mexico Open Elections (formerly NM Open Primaries) led the effort to pass this bill through the New Mexico Senate. We have been working tirelessly on a semi-open primaries bill, as well as other voter rights efforts since 2015. That effort has required significant foundation building over years, including organizing a coalition in support, clearing legal objections, educating lawmakers, thought leaders and the public, and raising awareness in the media.

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

A big shout-out to Jeremy Gruber with Open Primaries. He told us late last year that we must pass a semi-open primaries bill in New Mexico before we could even think of passing non-partisan primaries and/or ranked choice voting. If not for Jeremy, we might have skipped this step after seven years of frustration only to have missed a window of opportunity to take a small but important step for election reform that will open the door for more reforms to follow.

Under the current closed primary system in New Mexico, only registered party members are allowed to vote in primary elections, which we have criticized for disenfranchising a large portion of the electorate and causing issues for county clerks. Since 41 states have some level of open primaries and with the mobility of voters in America, most newcomers to this sunbelt state assume they can vote in all elections. They show up on primary election day and get angry at the election officials, like the county clerk. Then, they leave and don’t vote. With the passage of this bill, registered independents and minor party affiliates will be able to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary elections.

The semi-open primary elections bill now heads to the House of Representatives. With the Senate vote signaling strong bipartisan support, we remain optimistic that it will ultimately be signed into law. The Secretary of State of New Mexico and many county clerks have expressed full support of this bill and many locals are showing up for public testimonies. The Governor, Michelle Lujan-Grisham, is on record during her last re-election campaign supporting a bill that allows independents to vote in primary elections.

The passage of the semi-open primary elections bill is a significant development for New Mexico, which has struggled with low voter turnout in recent years. By giving more voters a voice in the primary elections, the state is taking an important step towards increasing participation and ensuring that its elections are more democratic and representative of the people.

Just this year, NMOE gathered donations to reach and mobilize the 7,000 voters who changed their registration on primary election day to vote in the 2022 June primary election. We onboarded a Volunteer Coordinator and hired a lobbyist, previous State Representative Kelly Fajardo. With all boots on the ground, we have been able to manage the success of this bill as it made it through the Senate. With more organization and funding, we could help the state of New Mexico make history.

Efforts will continue as the bill moves through the House and NMOE will continue to need all the support we can get. Please visit our website to learn more and get involved.

Read More

Couple lying in tall grass

As many as 50 million to 60 million Americans may have decided that they don’t want to have kids.

Peathegee Inc/Getty Images

Voters without kids are in the political spotlight – but they’re not all the same

Jennifer Neal is a professor of psychology at Michigan State University. Zachary Neal is an associate professor of psychology at Michigan State University.

In the 2024 election cycle, voters without children are under the microscope.

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance has said that “childless cat ladies” and older adults without kids are “sociopaths” who “don’t have a direct stake in this country.”

So it was notable that when pop star Taylor Swift endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, she didn’t simply express her support and leave it at that. She also called herself a “childless cat lady.”

Keep ReadingShow less
People protesting for voting rights in front of the Capitol

The Supreme Court eliminated provisions of the Voting Rights Act in 2013.

Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

The voter fraud conversation is the wrong one to be having right now

Rajasekar is an assistant professor of sociology at University of Illinois Springfield and a public voices fellow with The OpEd Project.

For the past decade, America has been mired in a repetitive, pointless conversation about “voter fraud,” helped in no small part by Donald Trump’s efforts to undermine voters’ faith in the electoral process.

During the presidential debate with Kamala Harris in early September, Trump insisted that he was the true winner of the 2020 election, and he has repeatedly hinted that he will not accept the election results this November if they are not in his favor. Since then, Trump and other GOP politicians have continued to put forward baseless arguments about voter fraud, including claims that Democrats are registering non-citizens and undocumented migrants to purposefully skew election results.

Keep ReadingShow less
Money surrounding the Capitol

Federal elections in 2024 will cost at least $16 billion, according to OpenSecrets.

Douglas Rissing/Getty Images

Total 2024 election spending projected to exceed previous record

Bryner is director of research and strategy for OpenSecrets. Glavin is deputy research director for OpenSecrets.

With weeks left until Election Day, OpenSecrets predicts that 2024’s federal election cycle is on track to be the costliest ever, with a total cost of at least $15.9 billion in spending. This will surpass the 2020 cycle’s record-smashing total of $15.1 billion.

Outside groups, largely super PACs, have spent roughly $2.6 billion on 2024 federal elections, outpacing spending in any previous cycle. If the current spending trends hold, OpenSecrets projects that total outside spending for the entire election cycle will exceed $5 billion.

Keep ReadingShow less
"Diversity," "Equity" and "Inclusion" on wood blocks
Nora Carol Photography/Getty Images

DEI is worth saving if programs focus on expanding advantages

Myatt is the co-founder ofThe Equity Practice and a public voices fellow alumna through The OpEd Project.

DEI backlash is prolific. Many companies inspired to begin diversity, equity and inclusion work after the racial unrest of 2020 are pausing those same efforts in response to pushback from customers and employees.

The reasons for the pushback vary, but for many, DEI represents a threat to status and access to resources. These fears are not entirely unfounded. Some DEI strategies aim to “level the playing field” by eliminating what some see as unfair advantages.

Keep ReadingShow less