New Mexico Opened Its Primaries to Independent Voters. Many Counties Haven’t Told Them Yet.

Twenty of New Mexico’s 33 county clerk websites did not explain a major election law change allowing independent voters to vote in Democratic or Republican primaries, days before early voting began May 5 for the June 2 primary, Source NM reports. The June 2 election was the first under New Mexico’s “semi-open” primary system, which lawmakers approved last year.

Under the new system, “decline to state” voters, commonly called independents, can pick a Democratic or Republican ballot without officially joining a party. The previous system barred voters not registered with either major party from primaries that often decide who wins office in heavily Democratic or Republican districts. Independent registration has grown in both rural and urban parts of the state.

The reasons for the gaps varied. Some rural counties with limited staff rely on links to the Secretary of State’s Office, and Sandoval County Deputy Clerk Joey Dominguez said his office delayed publishing educational materials because draft documents contained errors. Colfax County’s election FAQ page had not been updated in years, and Quay County’s elections page was marked “suspended.”

Bob Perls, chair of the New Mexico Forward Party, said county clerks failed to prepare voters despite months of notice. “What’s more important than letting 25 percent of voters know that they can vote?” he told Source NM. Election officials say clerks are responsible for their own websites; the Secretary of State’s Office urged counties to update their information, provided outreach materials and mailed notices directly to independent voters.

Editor’s note: Updated Oct. 31, 2026. This story is now part of Daily Reports, our New Mexico news roundup, and was revised to credit Source NM’s original reporting. Learn how Daily Reports works in our editorial standards.