SANTA FE, N.M. — As of now, over 730 individuals have registered to vote under the new regulations pertaining to felony convictions, as reported by the New Mexico secretary of state’s office.
District Judge Kathleen McGarry Ellenwood has mandated measures to enable former inmates, who are eligible to vote following legislation passed last year, to exercise their voting rights.
The law, which took effect in July 2023, reinstated the voting privileges of an estimated 11,000 individuals in New Mexico who had completed their prison sentences for felony offenses.
This legislation permits individuals to vote immediately upon their release from incarceration, which extends to those who are currently on probation or who have been granted parole.
However, a recent lawsuit filed in Santa Fe by an advocacy group representing former inmates alleges that some individuals attempting to restore their voting rights have received denial notices from county clerks. These rejections have been based on inaccurate or outdated information sourced from the secretary of state’s office as well as the New Mexico Corrections Department, according to reports.
In response to this issue, Judge Ellenwood has instructed Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver to issue revised voter registration forms.
Additionally, Oliver has been tasked with collaborating with the 33 county clerks in the state to ascertain whether individuals who sought to register to vote since the law’s implementation in July 2023 but were turned away should be included in the state’s voter rolls.