Three Days Down, 57 to go!

Thursday was a day full of meetings and trying to connect with legislators about our priority bills – with NINE bills as priorities, and dozens more that we are tracking, it was a full day for Common Cause NM.

So many of the legislators we spoke with said they wanted to see our bills pass this year because they keep hearing about them from their constituents – that’s you! Thank you – while it is important for us to be at the Roundhouse every day during the session moving good government bills, that advocacy can never compete with the advocacy you do in your communities every single day. If your elected officials hear from you throughout the year, they are more inclined to vote YES for the best government in NM.

And in case you missed it, one of our top priorities, a constitutional amendment that would register every eligible voter in NM automatically, was introduced on Wednesday! Rep. Javier Martinez, Rep. Liz Thomson and Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto are sponsoring HJR 4 REGISTER ALL QUALIFIED ELECTORS TO VOTE, and we are excited to have a conversation about this great tool to engage all eligible voters!

Automatic Voter Registration is a process states are adopting to update our current paper-based system with a new electronic system that creates a secure database to automatically identify and register all eligible Americans to vote. The secure database actively updates voter registration information when people apply for or renew their driver’s license or when they change their address. 

Secure. Technology has dramatically changed the way we live. Unfortunately, our outdated paper-based system of voting hasn’t kept up with the times. An electronic automatic voter registration system would use a secure database to ensure that those who are ineligible to vote will not be able to take advantage of an insecure system.

Accessible. Automatic Voter Registration will protect the fundamental right of every American, regardless of party, to have their vote counted. And it will ensure that those who encounter barriers to voting – veterans, active military, senior citizens, and people with disabilities – are able to participate fully in our democracy.

Accurate. Each year, millions of voter paper registration forms are manually entered into a database. Too often, mistakes happen that deny eligible American citizens their right to vote.

We will do a wrap up of the week tomorrow and then get ready for next week, when we hope to see some of these priority bills hit their first committee.

Plus, a few of our priorities are getting their finishing touches, so they will be introduced early next week.

Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook for mid-day updates and call your legislators!