Amid a national conversation about voting rights, we’ve seen efforts to restrict access to the ballot in other states and two federal voting rights bills stalled in the United States Congress this month. Here in New Mexico, Senate Bill 8, the New Mexico Voting Rights Act, which has the backing of Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, is aiming to expand voting access by making it easier to vote and even allowing new classes of people a chance to cast ballots.
Today we’ll check in with KUNM reporter Nash Jones who has been following elections and voting closely for more than a year. They’ve had their eye on Senate Bill 8 in particular this session, because of its broad impacts on everything from voter registration to ballot drop boxes. Now it appears poised to start moving through committees.
If this is a topic that gets you going, keep in mind that the bill is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Rules Committee on February 4th. Members of the public are welcome to go to the Roundhouse for committee or floor hearings, as long as you can show proof of vaccination and wear a mask inside. And if that won’t work for you, catch it streaming online at nmlegis.gov – just look for the webcast tab near the top of the page.
If you have questions for us or our guests or you want to point us toward legislation that you think needs more consideration, send us an email at ynmg@kunm.org.
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This public service is part of our Your New Mexico Government project, a collaboration between KUNM radio and New Mexico PBS. Support for public media provided by the Thornburg Foundation.
