On January 29, Representative Moe Maestas (D-Albuquerque) introduced House Joint Memorial (HJM) 19. 

HJM 19 is NMOP’s sponsored memorial calling on the New Mexico State Legislature to establish an interim task force to study election reform in a comprehensive way.  Founder of NMOP, Bob Perls, stated, “ We bring needed reforms to the legislature, but are told that it is too complex or broad.  It is clear to our Board and to many observers that this is a complex but solvable policy area that needs some in-depth conversation between all stakeholders.”

Over the last three legislative sessions, NMOP has focused on legislation to open up primary elections to all voters, to make ballot access fair to independent candidates, to make sure that all qualified voters can vote in all elections and has supported other non-profits pushing for independent redistricting commissions and rank choice voting.  With our sponsor’s help, an open primaries bill made it through several legislative committees last session.

Our sponsor, Rep. Moe Maestas is a long time supporter of NMOP and he, along with Rep. Jim Dines and Rep. Daymon Ely are the primary sponsors of HJM 19.  We hope to see an interim task force established this summer to study ways to increase voter participation and competition in all elections so that our political system reflects the wishes and desires of the broadest possible cross section of New Mexico.