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committees of the NM Legislature. The LFC does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of these reports

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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Durán

DATE TYPED 2/20/05

HB

SHORT TITLE Voter Registration Closing Times

SB 83

ANALYST Medina

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to the Election Code

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Secretary of State (SOS)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 83 amends the Election Code to set a definitive date for the closing of voter registra-

tion. The bill requires the county clerks to accept for filing any certificate of registration that is

subscribed and dated on or before the twenty-eighth day preceding the election. Furthermore, the

county clerks are required to accept for filing any mailed certificate of registration postmarked

not less than twenty-eight days prior to any election and received by 5:00 p.m. on the Friday

immediately following the close of registration.

Significant Issues

This bill will require county clerks to accept for filing certificates of voter registration, not just

those “hand delivered”.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL.

The definitive date and time for close of voter registration will continue to be less clear than as is

proposed in this bill.

DXM/yr