KSFR reporter Mary Lou Cooper interviewed Lindsey Bachman, spokesperson at the New Mexico Secretary of State’s office, to find out how this new system of voting will work. Our primary season kicked off with early voting on May 5 and will conclude with in-person voting on Election Day June 2.Below is a summary of the Q and A’s from that interview.
Q: What are semi-open primaries and how do they differ from traditional straight-up Republican and Democratic primaries?
A: Primary elections are elections to select major party candidates to represent the parties in the general election. Major party voters vote in primary elections because they have a party affiliation listed on their voter registration. In the semi-open primary, voters not registered with a qualified political party may participate in the primary by selecting which party’s ballot they want to vote on, without having to change their registration.
Q: Why was the change to semi-open primaries deemed necessary and what’s the goal?
A: New Mexico has more than 370,000 registered voters who choose not to register with a major political party. That’s 28 percent of all the registered voters in the state. (Note: The goal is to allow all registered voters to vote in primaries no matter the party affiliation or lack thereof.)
Q: If I am a registered Republican or Democratic voter, will anything change for me under semi-open primaries? Can I switch parties at the time of voting?
A: Voting is already underway, so nothing changes for you. You cannot change parties at the time of voting.
Q: How do semi-open primaries impact Decline to State or independent voters who prefer not to join a party? What do they do once they get to the polls during the primary?
A: Check in with poll workers at your polling location. You have the option to vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary without changing your voter registration. (Note: which party ballot you select is public information but unless you share it, how you vote is private.)
Q: Can I show up on June 2 and vote if I haven’t registered at all? Must I register with a party at that time?
A: You can utilize same-day voter registration and then vote. You can register as an R or D or choose to be independent or Decline to State.
Q: What happens if I show up to vote and can’t get a ballot?
A: If you are not found to be eligible by a poll worker but believe you’re eligible and registered, you can and should request a provisional ballot.
Q: What if want to vote by mail, but I haven’t registered to vote as an R or D or Decline to State?
A: Voters fill out an application to receive a mail-in ballot. The new semi-open primary system doesn’t change that process. Voters received notification prior to the start of early voting that outlined ways to participate, including indicating their party preference in the application process.
Q: What’s the situation in New Mexico in terms of primary election turnout? Will semi-open primaries increase voter turnout and will they affect election outcomes?
A: In 2024 primary turnout was about 22 percent of registered voters while general election turnout was about 72 percent. The Secretary of State’s office hopes to see better primary turn-out with semi-open primaries especially because some races are contested in the primary but not in the general election. In terms of semi-open primary affecting election outcomes, that largely depends on turnout. New Mexico has a significant number of newly registered voters choosing not to register with a political party, but more voters still choose to affiliate with one party or another when registering.
For more information about voting in New Mexico elections, check out NMVote.org.
Semi-open Primaries Come to NM This Election Season
