46th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2003

RELATING TO ELECTIONS; ALLOWING FOR INSTANT RUNOFF ELECTIONS IN MUNICIPALITIES WITH A POPULATION OF OVER SIXTY THOUSAND.

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

Section 1. It is proposed to amend Article 7, Section 5 of the constitution of New Mexico to read:

"A. All elections shall be by ballot [and]. The person who receives the highest number of votes for any office, except as provided in Subsection B of this section and except in the cases of the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, shall be declared elected [thereto] to that office. The joint candidates receiving the highest number of votes for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor shall be declared elected to those offices.

B. A municipality with a population greater than sixty thousand may provide for instant runoff elections by ordinance or, if the municipality adopts a charter pursuant to Article 10, Section 6 of the constitution of New Mexico, in accordance with the provisions of the charter. If instant runoff elections are adopted, the candidate that receives a majority of first-choice votes for an office shall be declared elected to that office.

C. "Instant runoff election" means a voting system of single transferable votes that allows a voter the option to rank at least two candidates for each office so that if no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the second choice of the voters choosing the candidate with the lowest number of first-choice votes shall automatically be transferred to the remaining candidates and be counted as first-choice votes for those candidates. Counting continues until a candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes."

Section 2. The amendment proposed by this resolution shall be submitted to the people for their approval or rejection at the next general election or at any special election prior to that date that may be called for that purpose.