RELATING TO ELECTIONS; ASSIGNING PRECINCTS TO SAN JUAN MAGISTRATE DISTRICT DIVISIONS; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. Section 35-1-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1968, Chapter 62, Section 5) is amended to read:

"35-1-3. MAGISTRATE COURT--ELECTION--TERMS.--Except as otherwise provided by law, magistrates shall be nominated and elected at large within each magistrate district at the primary and general elections. In magistrate districts having more than one magistrate, the separate offices shall be designated by divisions and, in all appointments to fill vacancies and in all nominations and elections to these offices, candidates shall be designated as appointed or elected to the office of magistrate of a specific division. Magistrates shall be nominated and elected in the 1968 primary and general elections to serve terms from January 1, 1969 until December 31, 1970. Subsequent terms shall be for four years."

Section 2. Section 35-1-27 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1968, Chapter 62, Section 29, as amended) is amended to read:

"35-l-27. MAGISTRATE COURT--SAN JUAN DISTRICT ELECTION DIVISION PRECINCTS.--

A. There shall be four magistrate divisions in

San Juan magistrate district, each division having its own magistrate. Divisions 1 and 4 shall operate as a single court in Aztec and divisions 2 and 3 shall operate as a single court in Farmington.

B. Magistrate judges shall not be elected at-large from the district, but shall be elected by the voters of the division for which the magistrate sits. Magistrate judges may reside anywhere within the magistrate district and shall have district-wide jurisdiction. The composition of the divisions for elections purposes is:

(1) division 1 is composed of San Juan county precinct numbers 46, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 78, 79 and 82;

(2) division 2 is composed of San Juan county precinct numbers 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 28, 29, 30, 31 and 32;

(3) division 3 is composed of San Juan county precinct numbers 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 51, 52 and 54; and

(4) division 4 is composed of San Juan county precinct numbers 1, 5, 5A, 6, 7, 16, 19, 53, 55, 56, 57, 58, 75, 76, 77, 80, 81 and 83."

Section 3. EMERGENCY.--It is necessary for the public peace, health and safety that this act take effect immediately.