The secretary of state shall:

A. generally supervise all elections by administering the Election Code [Chapter 1 NMSA 1978] in its statewide application;

B. prepare instructions for the conduct of election and registration matters in accordance with the laws of the state;

C. advise county clerks, boards of county commissioners and boards of registration as to the proper methods of performing their duties prescribed by the Election Code;

D. report possible violations of the Election Code of which the secretary of state has knowledge to the district attorney or the attorney general for prosecution;

E. cause to be published in book form and distributed to the county clerk of each county for use by precinct boards [election boards] a sufficient number of copies of the Election Code as it is from time to time amended and supplemented;

F. be responsible for the education and training of county clerks regarding elections;

G. be responsible for the education and training of voting machine technicians; and

H. assist the county clerks in the education and training of registration officers.

History: 1953 Comp., § 3-2-2, enacted by Laws 1969, ch. 240, § 23; 1975, ch. 255, § 8; 1995, ch. 198, § 2; 2005, ch. 270, § 10; 2011, ch. 137, § 13.

Bracketed material. — The bracketed material was inserted by the compiler and is not part of the law.

Laws 2019, ch. 212, § 283, effective April 3, 2019, provided that references in the Election Code to "precinct board", shall be deemed to be references to "election board", as that term is defined in Section 1-1-13 NMSA 1978.

Cross references. — For secretary providing instruction on procedures whereby precinct board shall determine identity of last person in line at time polls close, see 1-12-26 NMSA 1978.

For secretary advising state chairman regarding method of nominating and electing presidential electors, see 1-15-1 NMSA 1978.

The 2011 amendment, effective July 1, 2011, eliminated the secretary of state's obligation to assist in the recruitment and training of poll workers and other election workers and in the certification of presiding judges of precinct boards.

The 2005 amendment, effective July 1, 2005, in Subsection I, provided that the secretary of state shall assist county clerks in the recruitment and training of poll workers and other election workers and in the certification of the presiding judges of the precinct boards and deleted the former provision that the secretary of state shall assist in the education and training of precinct boards.

The 1995 amendment, effective April 6, 1995, deleted "deputy" preceding "registration" in Subsection I.