More than 8,400 New Mexicans have registered to vote or updated their voter information in the first week since the state launched automatic voter registration at Motor Vehicle Division offices, according to state officials.
The milestone demonstrates early success for the new system that automatically registers eligible voters when they renew or apply for driver’s licenses and state identification cards. The program took effect July 1 as part of the New Mexico Voting Rights Act signed into law in 2023.
“This is a major step forward for voter access and election modernization in New Mexico,” Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said in a news release. “AVR makes voter registration faster, more accurate, and more secure.”
Since implementation began July 1, 8,487 New Mexicans have been registered to vote or had their registration updated through the automatic system at MVD offices statewide, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
The system works by automatically registering eligible customers who provide citizenship documentation during driver’s license or ID card transactions. Customers who are not eligible to vote – including non-citizens or those under 18 – are screened out of the process.
“By reducing paperwork and ensuring more eligible voters are on the rolls, we’re saving taxpayer money and making our democracy more accessible,” Toulouse Oliver said in the release.
New Mexico joins 23 other states and Washington, D.C., that have adopted automatic voter registration since 2015. Minnesota, which launched its system in 2024, registered more than 65,000 people through automatic registration in its first months of operation.
The New Mexico program represents a significant expansion of voting access in the state. Previously, Motor Vehicle Division customers had to actively choose to register by checking a box during their transaction. Now, eligible voters are automatically registered unless they choose to opt out.
“Automated voter registration increases registration rates, helps to keep our voter rolls up to date, and saves the state money,” Toulouse Oliver said in a 2019 statement when the state first authorized automatic registration. “New Mexico has the necessary infrastructure and security protocols to make these election reforms a success.”
The current implementation follows a multi-year process that began when the Legislature first authorized automatic voter registration in 2019. The 2023 New Mexico Voting Rights Act, signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, expanded the program and set the July 1, 2025, implementation date.
The law also restored voting rights to people with felony convictions immediately upon release from prison and included the first-in-the-nation Native American Voting Rights Act to improve polling access on tribal lands.
Stephanie Schardin Clarke, New Mexico Secretary of Taxation and Revenue, said the Motor Vehicle Division partnership demonstrates how technology can improve government services.
“Modernizing government services is a key priority for our department, and AVR is a perfect example of technology enhancing the customer experience,” Schardin Clarke said in the release.
The automatic registration process includes multiple safeguards to ensure only eligible voters are registered. Customers must be U.S. citizens, New Mexico residents and at least 18 years old by the next election. Those who don’t meet these requirements are not registered.
Eligible voters who complete the automatic registration process receive follow-up mail from their county clerk with instructions on changing political party affiliation or opting out of registration if they choose.
The ACLU of New Mexico, which supported the 2023 Voting Rights Act, previously called such voting access improvements “critical” for eliminating barriers that have historically disenfranchised communities.
Automatic voter registration has shown measurable benefits in other states, including reduced lines at polling places, increased registration accuracy and improved access for underrepresented communities, according to state officials.
The Secretary of State’s Office website provides additional information about automatic voter registration at sos.nm.gov/avr/