This year’s general election is on November 5, 2024. You can register to vote and update your voter registration by visiting www.sos.nm.gov. You can also register to vote using a paper voter registration form. These forms can be retrieved at your local elections office at 105 Albright St, Taos, NM 87571.
October 5 is the registration deadline for the November election. In New Mexico, however, you can also register to vote on the day of the election, November 5

From October 8 through November 2, voters can cast their votes during early voting at the Taos County Courthouse. The early voting site in Questa at the Questa Municipal Hall, 2500 Old State Rd. 3, opens on October 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

This year’s ballot will include presidential candidates and local and statewide initiatives. Some initiatives on the ballot as of this paper’s print date include:

Constitutional Amendment I:
Proposing an amendment to Article 8, Section 15 of the constitution of New Mexico to extend a property tax exemption, to veterans with less than 100 percent disability and their widows and widowers and basing the amount of the exemption on a veteran’s disability rating.
• Breaking it down: Currently in New Mexico, 100 percent disabled veterans and their widows/widowers do not have to pay property taxes. If this passes, it would amend the New Mexico constitution to extend the exemption to any veteran and their widow/widowers, regardless of their disability rating.

Constitutional Amendment No. 2:
Proposing an amendment to Article 8, Section 5 of the constitution of New Mexico to amend the property tax exemption for honorably discharged members of the armed forces and their widows and widowers.
• Breaking it down: If this passes, it would amend the New Mexico constitution to reduce the amount of property taxes any honorable discharged member of the armed forces and their widow/widowers is required to pay.

Constitutional Amendment No. 3
Proposing to amend Article 6, Section 35 of the constitution of New Mexico by allowing the dean of the University of New Mexico School of Law to appoint a designee to the Judicial Nominating Commission.
• Breaking it down: If passed, this would extend the nominating authority for the Judicial Nominating Commission to the UNM School of Law dean. Currently, the following people are able to nominate individuals to the Judicial Nominating Committee: Chief Justice of the NM Supreme Court, Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, Chief Judge of the District Court, Chief Judge of the Metro Court, Governor, Speaker of the House, President Pro Tem of the Senate, and President of the State Bar.

Constitutional Amendment No. 4
Proposing an amendment to Article 10, Section 1 of the constitution of New Mexico to provide that the salaries of county officers shall be established by the Board of County Commissioners, remove references to the First Legislative Session and clarify that any fees collected by a county official shall be paid into the treasury of the county.
• Breaking it down: This, in part, is a technical fix to clean up article 10, section 1 of the NM constitution which would remove wording which refers to “first legislative session” as it doesn’t make sense outside of this time frame. Additionally, it appoints the authority directly to the Board of County Commissioners to set county officer salaries, removing ambiguity. This would ensure the fees collected from tickets issued by county officers goes directly to the county treasury (or bank account).

Bond Question 3 – Higher Education
The 2024 Capital Projects General Obligation Bond Act authorizes the issuance and sale of higher education, special schools and tribal schools capital improvement and acquisition bonds. Shall the state be authorized to issue general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed two hundred thirty million two hundred fifty-eight thousand four hundred dollars ($230,258,400) to make capital expenditures for certain higher education, special schools and tribal schools capital improvements and acquisitions and provide for a general property tax imposition and levy for the payment of principal of, interest on and expenses incurred in connection with the issuance of the bonds and the collection of the tax as permitted by law?
• Breaking it down: Capital improvement and acquisition bonds are a way for cities and other governments to fund large-scale projects. If this is passed, it would cap the amount of general obligation for improvements to higher education, special schools, and tribal schools at $230,258,400.

Bond Question 2 – Library Acquisitions
The 2024 Capital Projects General Obligation Bond Act authorizes the issuance and sale of library acquisition bonds. Shall the state be authorized to issue general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $19,305,000 to make capital expenditures for academic, public school, tribal and public library resource acquisitions and provide for a general property tax imposition and levy for the payment of principal of, interest on and expenses incurred in connection with the issuance of the bonds and the collection of the tax as permitted by law?
• Breaking it down: Capital improvement and acquisition bonds are a way for cities and other governments to fund large-scale projects. If this is passed, it would cap the amount of general obligation for improvements to higher education, special schools and tribal schools at $19,305,000

Bond Question 4 – Public Safety
The 2024 Capital Projects General Obligation Bond Act authorizes the issuance and sale of public safety radio system improvement bonds. Shall the state be authorized to issue general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $10,297,100 to make capital expenditures for public safety radio communications systems stabilization and modernization and provide for a general property tax imposition and levy for the payment of principal of, interest on and expenses incurred in connection with the issuance of the bonds and the collection of the tax as permitted by law?
• Breaking it down: if this is passed, it would authorize capping the sale of public safety radio system improvement bonds not to exceed $10,297,100 to improve the public safety radio communication systems for law enforcement.

Bond Question 1 – Aging and Long-Term Services Department
The 2024 Capital Projects General Obligation Bond Act authorizes the issuance and sale of senior citizen facility improvement, construction and equipment acquisition bonds. Shall the state be authorized to issue general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $30,758,100 to make capital expenditures for certain senior citizen facility improvement, construction, and equipment acquisition projects and provide for a general property tax imposition and levy for the payment of principal of, interest on and expenses incurred in connection with the issuance of the bonds and the collection of the tax as permitted by law?
• Breaking it down: if this is passed, it would authorize the sale of senior citizen facilities, construction, and equipment acquisition bonds, not to exceed $30,758,100 to make improvements for certain senior citizen facilities.