A. The secretary of state shall develop, implement, establish and supervise a voter registration electronic management system that complies with the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002 to facilitate voter registration and to provide a central database containing voter registration information for New Mexico.

B. The voter registration electronic management system shall:

(1) provide for the establishment and maintenance of a central database for all voter registration information;

(2) permit the offices of all county clerks to add, modify and delete county information from the system to provide for accurate and up-to-date records;

(3) permit the offices of the county clerks and the bureau of elections to have access to the central database for review and search capabilities;

(4) provide security and protection for all information in the central database and monitor the central database to ensure the prevention of unauthorized entry;

(5) provide procedures for the electronic receipt of voter registration application and update information, including digitized and electronic signatures, photographs and other data provided by the motor vehicle division of the taxation and revenue department or the federal social security administration;

(6) permit a proper filing officer to upload declarations of candidacy and candidate qualification documents, as prescribed by the Election Code, and resolutions approving a ballot question within one day of being filed with the proper filing officer;

(7) provide procedures for entering data into the central database; and

(8) provide a centralized system for each county to enter the precinct to which a voter should be assigned for voting purposes.

C. Based on written agreements with the secretary of state, the secretary of state shall provide access to the voter registration electronic management system to municipalities and other local governments based upon statutory responsibilities for administration of elections or to administer procedures related to elections that do not conflict with the provisions of the Election Code. The agreements shall include the scope of access, required initial and continuing training, job titles for persons with login credentials and security requirements associated with accessing the voter registration electronic management system.

History: Laws 1989, ch. 298, § 1; 2005, ch. 270, § 38; 2015, ch. 145, § 23; 2019, ch. 212, § 59.

Cross references. — For the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002, see 42 J.S.C. § 15301 et seq.

The 2019 amendment, effective April 3, 2019, provided for a voter registration electronic management system; in Subsection A, after "supervise a", deleted "statewide computerized", and after "voter registration", added "electronic management"; in Subsection B, in the introductory clause, after "The", deleted "statewide computerized" and after "voter registration", added "electronic management", added new Paragraph B(6) and redesignated former Paragraphs B(6) and B(7) as Paragraphs B(7) and B(8), respectively; and added Subsection C.

The 2015 amendment, effective July 1, 2015, provided requirements for the statewide computerized voter registration system that is to be developed and implemented by the secretary of state; and added a new Paragraph (5) of Subsection B and redesignated the succeeding paragraphs accordingly.

The 2005 amendment, effective July 1, 2005, in Subsection A, provided that the voter registration system shall comply with the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002; in Subsection B(2), provided that the system shall permit changes to be made in county information; in Subsection B(6), provided that the system shall permit each county to enter the precinct to which the voter should be assigned; and deleted former Subsection B(7), which provided that the system prescribe a procedure for phasing in or converting existing computerized records.