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Secretary of

State Race

The Secretary of State directly affects whether your vote counts, whether elections are fair, and whether our democracy works for every New Mexican – regardless of zip code, language, or background. The office also administers campaign finance laws, runs the state's initiative process, and manages the business filings system.

What does the Secretary of State do?

The Secretary of State is New Mexico's chief elections officer and a constitutionally elected state executive (NM Constitution, Article V, Section 1). The Secretary serves four-year terms with a two-consecutive-term limit. The Secretary is also second in the line of gubernatorial succession when both the governor and lieutenant governor are out of state.​

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The Secretary of State: 

  • Administers all elections statewide – Sets voting rules and procedures, supports county clerks in running elections, and (along with the governor and chief justice) canvasses the returns of every statewide election

  • Maintains voter registration – Keeps the official statewide voter file and operates online voter registration

  • Manages the initiative and referendum process – Reviews signatures and certifies ballot questions so New Mexicans can put issues directly on the ballot

  • Enforces campaign finance, ethics, and lobbying laws – Tracks money in politics and oversees disclosure by candidates, lobbyists, and public officials

  • Runs the Safe at Home program – Provides a substitute mailing address for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking so abusers cannot track them through public records

  • Charters corporations and registers businesses – Processes LLC, corporation, and partnership filings (a separate function from elections)

  • Supports Native American voting access – Leads the Native American Voting Task Force, working with pueblos, tribes, and nations to expand registration, polling sites, and language access

  • Performs constitutional and legislative duties – Calls the state House to order at the start of each session, keeps legislative records on file, and serves as the keeper of the state seal

  • Administers notary, lobbying, and commercial filings – Oversees notaries public, lobbying registrations, UCC filings, and trademarks

Key Issues the Next Secretary of State Will Face

Protecting and Expanding Voting Access

New Mexico has made real progress on voting access:

  • Online voter registration

  • Same-day registration during early voting

  • No-excuse absentee voting

  • Early voting locations in every county

  • Language assistance under the federal Voting Rights Act

The next Secretary of State will be tasked with:

  • Protecting and expanding these access measures against rollbacks

  • Ensuring every county – especially rural and Tribal communities – has adequate voting locations, staffing, and language access

  • Reducing wait times and barriers for working families

  • Providing clear, accessible voter guides that explain every race and measure in simple language

  • Continuing the work of the Native American Voting Task Force to close the digital divide and expand access in tribal communities

Election Security and Public Trust

New Mexicans want to know that their votes count. The Secretary of State is responsible for:

  • Maintaining secure, accurate, and auditable voting systems

  • Defending against disinformation, foreign interference, and bad-faith challenges to election results

  • Training and supporting county clerks and election workers

  • Communicating clearly and consistently about how elections work

  • Canvassing returns alongside the governor and chief justice after every statewide election

Campaign Finance, Ethics, and Lobbying Transparency

Money in politics affects who gets elected and what policies pass. The Secretary enforces disclosure laws by:

  • Tracking campaign contributions and expenditures

  • Reviewing and publishing lobbying registrations and reports

  • Investigating violations and referring cases when needed

  • Making finance and ethics data easy for the public to find and use

Safe At Home: Protecting Survivors of Violence

Survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking often live in fear that abusers will find them through public records. The Safe at Home program provides:

  • A substitute Secretary of State mailing address for participants

  • Forwarding of mail from state and local agencies

  • Confidentiality protections for vulnerable New Mexicans and their children

The next Secretary must keep this program strong, well-funded, and accessible – especially in rural and Tribal communities.

Direct Democracy: Initiatives and Referenda

When New Mexicans want to put an issue directly on the ballot, the Secretary of State plays a critical role by:

  • Reviewing and certifying initiative and referendum petitions

  • Working with county clerks to ensure ballot questions are clearly written

  • Making sure petition circulators and signature-gatherers follow the law

Maintaining Business Filings 

The Secretary of State's Office is the place businesses turn to start and stay in operation. The office:

  • Processes corporation, LLC, and partnership filings

  • Manages commercial services like UCC filings and trademarks

  • Administers notary commissions used across the state

  • Maintains public business search tools entrepreneurs and lenders depend on

What You 
Can Do

✅ Check who's running for Secretary of State on your ballot and where they stand on voting access, Native American voting rights, and campaign finance
✅ Ask candidates whether they'll protect and expand the Safe at Home program for survivors of violence
✅ Show up to public comment periods when the SoS proposes new election rules – that's where decisions get made
✅ Vote in the SoS race, it's often overlooked, but this office touches nearly every part of our daily lives

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©2026 by Vote Info NM. 

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