A. Every person who is a qualified elector and is applying for a driver's license, to renew a driver's license or for an identification card shall, if qualified to register to vote, with the consent of the applicant be simultaneously registered to vote.

B. The secretary of taxation and revenue shall select certain employees of the motor vehicle division of the taxation and revenue department or employees of entities on contract to provide field services to the motor vehicle division to provide assistance to any applicant requesting voter registration assistance.

C. Every motor vehicle division office, field office or contract field office of the division shall display within the offices clearly visible signs stating "voter registration assistance available" and:

(1) personnel in each office shall advise each person who is a qualified elector and an applicant for licensure or renewal or for an identification card that initial voter registration or a change of address for voter registration may be made simultaneously with the motor vehicle application;

(2) voter registration shall be conducted in a manner such that the applicant completes the full certificate of registration electronically; and

(3) the applicant's digital signature shall be affixed to the certificate of registration using an electronic signature in conformance with the Electronic Authentication of Documents Act [Chapter 14, Article 15 NMSA 1978] and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act [Chapter 14, Article 16 NMSA 1978].

D. A motor vehicle division employee or contractor shall not intentionally influence the prospective registrant in the selection of political party, or independent status, by word or act. A motor vehicle division employee or contractor shall not reveal the existence of or the nature of the voter registration to anyone other than a registration officer.

E. Any voter registration made or accepted at a motor vehicle division office or motor vehicle division field office shall be transmitted to the secretary of state and the appropriate registration officer within seven calendar days.

F. The secretary of state shall work with the motor vehicle division to:

(1) ensure compliance in the application of the provisions of this section with the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993;

(2) ensure consistent implementation in the various counties, based on county classification and developing technology; and

(3) develop procedures to ensure that, once voter registration information is transmitted to the appropriate registration officer, the voter's certificate of registration is printed and placed in the county's register of voters.

History: 1978 Comp., § 1-4-47, enacted by Laws 1991, ch. 80, § 4; 1995, ch. 198, § 12; 2013, ch. 184, § 1.

The 2013 amendment, effective July 1, 2013, provided for electronic submittal of a voter's certificate of registration form by the motor vehicle division of the taxation and revenue department; in Subsection A, after "Every person", added "who is a qualified elector and is" and after "card shall, if", deleted "otherwise"; in Subsection B, after "motor vehicle division", deleted "of the taxation and revenue department"; in Paragraph (1) of Subsection C, after second occurrence of "office shall advise", deleted "any" and added "each person who is a qualified elector and an"; added Paragraphs (2) and (3) of Subsection C; in Subsection E, after "shall be transmitted to the", added "secretary of state and"; and added Subsection F.

The 1995 amendment, effective April 6, 1995, in Subsection A, deleted "or" preceding "to renew" and inserted "or for an identification card" near the beginning, and substituted "with the consent of the applicant be simultaneously registered to vote" for "be permitted to register to vote with a motor vehicle deputy registration officer. The applicant shall complete an affidavit of voter registration"; in Subsection B, substituted "provide assistance to any applicant requesting voter registration assistance" for "be motor vehicle deputy registration officers"; in Subsection C, rewrote the last sentence which read "Personnel in the offices shall make available a motor vehicle deputy registration officer to any person requesting to be registered as a voter"; in Subsection D, substituted "division employee or contractor" for "deputy registration officer" and added the last sentence of Subsection D; and added Subsection E.