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

SPONSOR Madalena

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/22/07

HB 213

SHORT TITLE

Making and Appropriation to Implement the Native

American Voting Rights Program in Sandoval County SB

ANALYST Propst

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$50.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Department of Finance and Administration

Indian Affairs Department

Responses Received From

Indian Affairs Department (IAD)

Department of Finance and Administration (DFA)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 213 makes an Appropriation to Implement the Native American Voting Rights

Program in Sandoval County. House Bill 213 makes an appropriation of $50 thousand for fiscal

years 08 and 09 from the General Fund to implement the Native American voting rights program

in Sandoval County.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The Sandoval County Attorney who also manages the Native American Voting Rights Program,

reports that the funds are used to increase voter registration and voter turnout on the Pueblos in

Sandoval County by hiring up to 10 translators/liaisons who work closely with the Pueblo

population in the months leading up to an election day and the election day itself.

Sandoval County has the most Native American languages (4) of any county in New Mexico.

The funds are also used to translate the ballots into the 4 Native languages and to prepare an

House Bill 213 – Page

2

audio interpretation of the ballot for those Native Americans who do not read the Native

language.

Additionally, the liaisons go door to door, to senior centers and to local high schools to register

unregistered voters. In the past, through the County’s outreach efforts, individuals as young as

17 (who will be 18 on election day) and as old as 83 have become first time voters in Sandoval

County. During early voting, the liaisons are stationed at each early voting location and are

there to assist Native speakers. On election day, each polling place on Native American land is

also staffed by the translators to ensure that all people interested in voting are given the

opportunity as required by law.

In the last election, San Felipe Pueblo increased its voter turnout from 0% in past elections to

42% last November due in large part to the efforts of the Sandoval County staff. Funding from

House Bill 213 will allow Sandoval County to continue its outreach efforts to Native speakers.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

Sandoval County already has the staffing in place to manage the administration of this funding.

There will be no administrative cost to a state agency.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

If the funding is not secured, Sandoval County will have to tap into its General Fund and will be

forced hire fewer translator/liaison personnel. This could hinder the County in its Native

American voting outreach efforts.

WEP/nt:csd