0001|                               AN ACT
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0002| RELATING TO ELECTIONS; PROVIDING AN EXCEPTION FOR CERTAIN VOTER
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0003| REGISTRATION INFORMATION FOR A VOTER WHO HAS FILED FOR AN ORDER OF
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0004| PROTECTION; AMENDING A SECTION OF THE ELECTION CODE.
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0005| 
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0006| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0007|      Section 1.  Section 1-4-5.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1993, Chapter 314, Section 7 and
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0008| Laws 1993, Chapter 316, Section 7) is amended to read:
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0009|      "1-4-5.1.  METHOD OF REGISTRATION--FORM.--
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0010|           A.  A qualified elector may apply for registration by mail or in the office of the
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0011| county clerk.
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0012|           B.  Certificate of registration forms may be requested from the secretary of state or
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0013| any county clerk in person, by telephone or by mail for oneself or for others.
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0014|           C.  Except as provided in Subsection D of this section, a qualified elector who
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0015| wishes to register to vote shall fill out completely and sign the certificate of registration.  The
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0016| qualified elector may seek the assistance of any person in completing the certificate of
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0017| registration.
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0018|           D.  A qualified elector who has filed for an order of protection pursuant to the
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0019| provisions of the Family Violence Protection Act, and who presents a copy of that order from a
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0020| state or tribal court to the registration officer, shall not be required to provide address information
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0021| on the certificate of registration.
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0022|           E.  Completed certificates of registration may be mailed or presented in person by
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0023| the registrant or any other person to the secretary of state or presented in person by the registrant
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0024| or any other person to the county clerk of the county in which the registrant resides.
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0025|           F.  If the registrant wishes to vote in the next election, the completed and signed
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0001| certificate of registration shall be delivered or mailed and postmarked at least twenty-eight days
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0002| before the election.
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0003|           G.  Upon receipt of a certificate of registration, the secretary of state shall send the
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0004| certificate to the county clerk in the county where the qualified elector resides.
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0005|           H.  Only when the certificate of registration is properly filled out, signed by the
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0006| qualified elector and accepted for filing by the county clerk as evidenced by his signature or
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0007| stamp and the date of acceptance thereon and when notice has been received by the registrant
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0008| shall it constitute an official public record of the registration of the qualified elector.
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0009|           I.  The secretary of state shall prescribe the form of the certificate of
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0010| registration, which shall be a postpaid mail-in format and shall be printed in Spanish and
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0011| English.  The certificate of registration form shall be clear and understandable to the
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0012| average person and shall include brief but sufficient instructions to enable the qualified
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0013| elector to complete the form without assistance."                         
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