New Mexico Voting Requirements & Information
U.S. Vote Foundation’s New Mexico Voting Requirements and Information directory informs you of New Mexico voting rules and options. It focuses on New Mexico-specific voting guidelines and information for all voters, including domestic, overseas, and military voters. Here you can find out about New Mexico voter eligibility, voter ID requirements, registration, absentee and early voting options, ways to transmit voting documents and links to specific-New Mexico voting tools. It's an all-in-one New Mexico voting resource.
General Information
Registration
You can register to vote or update your registration information:
- online
- by mail
- in person at your elections office
- at your MVD office
- at some public assistance offices
Election Day Voting
Polling places are open from 7am to 7pm on Election Day.
Find my polling place
Early Voting
Voters may cast an absentee ballot or vote in person in the county clerk's office during regular business hours starting 28 days prior to an election. Contact your clerk's office for hours of operation for absentee voting.
Absentee Voting
Any registered voter may request an absentee ballot and vote by mail. The voter, the voter's family member, or the voter's caregiver may return the ballot.
Please visit the US Vote Disability Voting Guide to see accommodations for the registration and voting process.
Eligibility Requirements
You are eligible to vote in New Mexico if you:
- Are a U.S. citizen
- Are a resident of New Mexico
- Are at least 18 years old by Election Day
You are NOT eligible to vote in New Mexico if:
- A judge has specifically ruled that you are not able to vote.
- You are in prison or jail for a felony conviction.
Restorative Requirements
- If you have completed a felony prison sentence, even if you are still on parole or probation, then you are immediately eligible to register to vote.
You may preregister to vote in New Mexico
- if you will be 18 by Election Day
If you are a student, you are eligible to vote in New Mexico if:
- You reside in New Mexico but are attending college in another state
- You reside in another state but attend college in New Mexico
Identification Requirements
Voter Registration
If you are registering to vote for the first time by mail, you will need to provide a copy of a valid ID. Acceptable forms of ID include:
- Valid Tribal ID
- Current and Valid Photo ID
- Government Issued Document that shows your current name and address
- Valid Student ID
- Utility Bill, Bank Statement, Government Check, or Paycheck that Shows your current name and address
You can alternatively show one of these documents when you vote to complete your registration. If you want to start your registration AND vote on the same day, you will need one of the following: a New Mexico drivers license, an id card from the motor vehicle division of the tax and revenue department, a document with your current address together with a photo id, or a current valid student id from a New Mexico post-secondary educational institution together with a free statement that has your current address.
Voting In-Person
Physical id is only required for first time voters who registered by mail and didn't include id. You can show id from the above list. Some municipalities, such as the City of Rio Rancho, may require id for city elections (not state or federal elections). Contact your County Clerk's Office for details.
Voter Materials Transmission Options
Domestic Voter |
In-Person |
|
Fax |
|
Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voter Registration | |||||
| Absentee Ballot Request | |||||
| Blank Ballot To Voter | |||||
| Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |
State Lookup Tools – Am I Registered?
State Elections Website
Can I View my Sample Ballot?
Where is my Polling Place?
Can I Register to Vote Online?
Where is my Ballot?
State Voter Registration FAQ
Overseas / Military Voter Information
Where are my Early Voting Locations?
Has my Ballot Been Counted?
Where is my Overseas or Military Ballot?
Eligibility Requirements
Overseas Voters
U.S. citizens living abroad have the right to vote as absentee voters, provided they are eligible to vote in their state. If you are living outside of the U.S. permanently, indefinitely, or temporarily, your voting rights stay with you, even if you never voted when you lived in the U.S. To vote from overseas:
- Complete and send an overseas voter registration/ballot request form to your election office in the U.S. This is one specific form that will register you as an overseas voter and request your absentee ballot – simultaneously.
Many states allow children who were born overseas, but never lived in the U.S., to use their U.S. parents’ last residence address to register.
Military Voters
Service members and their eligible family members living outside their voting jurisdiction (within or outside the U.S.) are able to vote as absentee voters.
- If you are a service member, or an eligible family member, there is a single form to file for both voter registration and ballot request. It is often called the “Federal Post Card Application” or the FPCA form. This form must be re-filed with your election office each time you change location.
To vote as a service member or eligible family member:
- Complete and send a voter registration/ballot request form “FPCA” to your election office in the U.S. It is the same form in all states.
Identification Requirements
Voting Overseas
U.S. citizens living overseas may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form. You will have the following identification options when completing the form:
- Complete Social Security Number
Voting Military
Service members and their dependents may register and request a ballot using the federal voter registration/ballot request form ("FPCA"). You will have the following identification options when completing the form:
- Complete Social Security Number
Voter Materials Transmission Options
Overseas Voter |
In-Person |
|
Fax |
|
Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voter Registration | |||||
| Absentee Ballot Request | |||||
| Blank Ballot To Voter | |||||
| Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |
Military Voter |
In-Person |
|
Fax |
|
Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voter Registration | |||||
| Absentee Ballot Request | |||||
| Blank Ballot To Voter | |||||
| Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |