Reflective Democracy

Common Cause has two major priorities for the 2021 legislative session: expanding public financing of judicial races and statewide ranked choice voting.

After the COVID-19 pandemic ripped through Indian Country in New Mexico this spring, voter turnout among Native Americans declined while the rest of the state experienced an unprecedented boost in voting during the presidential primary, according to a new report from Common Cause New Mexico.

A new report by Common Cause New Mexico outlines the damage to Native American turnout in the June 2 election. It found that turnout in Native American precincts fell by 1 percentage point in the 2020 primary election, compared with four years earlier, even as voter participation surged by 8 points throughout the state as a whole.

1% Decrease in Native Voter Turnout Found amid Historic High Statewide

Common Cause New Mexico released a report examining Native American voter participation in the 2020 Primary, as well as in elections of 2012 and 2016. The report was based on information from the New Mexico Secretary of State’s office and an informal survey of Native American voters throughout New Mexico conducted in July and August 2020.

Our Executive Director, Heather Ferguson, sat down with Lorene Mills to discuss the challenges COVID-19 is presenting for our democracy -- from voting by mail to the census and redistricting.