0001| SENATE BILL 201 | 0002| 43rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 1997 | 0003| INTRODUCED BY | 0004| DEDE FELDMAN | 0005| | 0006| | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| AN ACT | 0011| RELATING TO ELECTIONS; REQUIRING COUNTY CLERKS OF CLASS A | 0012| COUNTIES TO PREPARE, PUBLISH AND MAIL A BALLOT PAMPHLET TO | 0013| EVERY HOUSEHOLD IN THE COUNTY WHERE A REGISTERED VOTER RESIDES; | 0014| CREATING A FUND; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION. | 0015| | 0016| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO: | 0017| Section 1. BALLOT PAMPHLET--PUBLICATION--CONTENTS-- | 0018| MAILING.-- | 0019| A. The county clerk of each class A county shall | 0020| publish a ballot pamphlet for general elections, in both | 0021| English and Spanish, containing the following information: | 0022| (1) the date of the election, the hours the | 0023| polling place will be open and instructions regarding how to | 0024| receive an absentee ballot; | 0025| (2) the full text of each statewide and local | 0001| measure on the ballot. The text of the measure shall contain | 0002| the provisions of the proposed measure and any existing | 0003| provisions of law to be repealed or revised; | 0004| (3) a copy of an impartial analysis of each | 0005| statewide and local measure, describing the measure and | 0006| including a fiscal analysis showing the amount of any increase | 0007| or decrease in revenue or cost to state or local government; | 0008| (4) arguments for and against each statewide | 0009| and local measure. The argument section of the pamphlet shall | 0010| contain the following statement: "These arguments are those | 0011| that can or may be used. They are not necessarily valid or | 0012| consistent. Their logic may depend upon their reference to a | 0013| particular time or circumstance. No weight should be ascribed | 0014| to the fact that more arguments may be presented for one side | 0015| of the question than are presented for the other side."; and | 0016| (5) background statements prepared by | 0017| candidates pursuant to the provisions of Subsection C of this | 0018| section. | 0019| B. The legislative council service shall write and | 0020| furnish to the county clerk of each class A county in a timely | 0021| fashion the analyses and arguments for and against each | 0022| statewide measure referred to in Paragraphs (3) and (4) of | 0023| Subsection A of this section. The county attorney of each | 0024| class A county shall write and furnish to the county clerk of | 0025| each class A county in a timely fashion the analyses and | 0001| arguments for and against each local measure referred to in | 0002| Paragraphs (3) and (4) of Subsection A of this section. | 0003| C. The county clerk of each class A county shall | 0004| allow all candidates for president, vice president, United | 0005| States senator, United States representative, all state | 0006| elective offices, all legislative offices, all county offices | 0007| and all elective judicial offices, including judicial retention | 0008| elections, to prepare a background statement of one hundred | 0009| words or less for general elections. The background statements | 0010| shall be included, free of charge, in the ballot pamphlet. A | 0011| background statement shall describe the candidate in his own | 0012| words and shall not include any references to a candidate's | 0013| opponent or opponents. | 0014| D. The county clerk of each class A county shall | 0015| mail one copy of the ballot pamphlet to every household in the | 0016| county where a registered voter resides. The ballot pamphlet | 0017| mailed to each household shall contain a sticker, label or | 0018| insert indicating the specific state and local districts in | 0019| which the household is located, as well as the location of the | 0020| polling place for that household. The mailing shall begin at | 0021| least twenty-five days before the election and shall be | 0022| completed no later than eighteen days prior to the election. | 0023| Section 2. FUND CREATION.-- | 0024| A. The "ballot pamphlet expense fund" is created in | 0025| the state treasury. The fund shall consist of appropriations, | 0001| gifts, grants and donations. The fund shall be administered by | 0002| the local government division of the department of finance and | 0003| administration. Money in the fund is appropriated to the local | 0004| government division of the department of finance and | 0005| administration and shall not revert at the end of the fiscal | 0006| year. | 0007| B. The purpose of the ballot pamphlet expense fund | 0008| is to provide funds to reimburse the clerks of class A counties | 0009| for the costs associated with the printing and mailing of | 0010| ballot pamphlets. | 0011| C. Money in the ballot pamphlet expense fund shall | 0012| be expended only on warrants drawn by the secretary of finance | 0013| and administration pursuant to vouchers signed by the director | 0014| of the local government division of the department of finance | 0015| and administration or his designee. | 0016| Section 3. APPROPRIATION.--Two hundred fifty thousand | 0017| dollars ($250,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the | 0018| ballot pamphlet expense fund for expenditure in fiscal years | 0019| 1998 and 1999 for the purpose of reimbursing county clerks of | 0020| class A counties for the costs of preparing, publishing and | 0021| mailing ballot pamphlets pursuant to the provisions of this | 0022| act. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the | 0023| end of fiscal year 1999 shall not revert to the general fund. | 0024| - 4 - | 0025| | 0001| FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE | 0002| FIRST SESSION, 1997 | 0003| | 0004| | 0005| February 11, 1997 | 0006| | 0007| Mr. President: | 0008| | 0009| Your RULES COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred | 0010| | 0011| SENATE BILL 201 | 0012| | 0013| has had it under consideration and reports same with | 0014| recommendation that it DO PASS, and thence referred to the | 0015| FINANCE COMMITTEE. | 0016| | 0017| Respectfully submitted, | 0018| | 0019| | 0020| | 0021| | 0022| __________________________________ | 0023| Gloria Howes, Chairman | 0024| | 0025| | 0001| | 0002| Adopted_______________________ Not | 0003| Adopted_______________________ | 0004| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0005| | 0006| | 0007| Date ________________________ | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| The roll call vote was 6 For 2 Against | 0011| Yes: 6 | 0012| No: Adair, Gorham | 0013| Excused: None | 0014| Absent: None | 0015| | 0016| | 0017| S0201RU1 | 0018| |