Elections

Bill to expand voting access heads to full Senate
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By Daniel J. Chacón, The Santa Fe New Mexican
New Mexicans would be automatically registered to vote when they do business at the Motor Vehicle Division, and the voting rights of convicted felons would be automatically restored the day they get out of prison under a bill that cleared its final legislative committee Monday. House Bill 4, which passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 6-3 party-line vote, heads next to the full Senate. If it passes the Senate, it will need to return to the House for a concurrence vote on amendments before reaching the governor’s desk. If Monday’s hearing is any indication, the bill will likely encounter stiff opposition from Republicans on the floor. While Republicans are outnumbered in both chambers of the Legislature, a similar bill died in a filibuster in the Senate in the final hours of last year’s legislative session.