Dianne Hamilton
State Rep. Dianne Hamilton recently wrote in a guest column published on this site that two pending same-day voter registration bills would allow people to register without providing some form of photo ID or another document such as a utility bill.
She claimed the legislation also “allows an individual to register and vote by providing a ‘verbal or written statement by the voter of the voter’s name, registration address and year of birth….’”
Turns out that isn’t true at all.
It’s true that New Mexicans can vote under the current law by providing a verbal or written statement instead of presenting a photo ID, utility bill, bank statement or other document. But the current law doesn’t allow same-day registration. The deadline to register to vote in an election comes weeks before that election under the current law.
The proposed legislation — House Bill 123 and Senate Bill 161 – would allow same-day registration during early voting, but only if people present a photo ID, utility bill, bank statement or other document.
That’s because the bills state that those registering on the same day that they vote must present “a physical form of identification as defined in Subsection A” of the current law. Subsection A defines that ID as:
• “an original or copy of a current and valid government-issued photo identification with or without an address, which address is not required to match the [voter’s certificate of] qualified elector’s registration address.”
• or “an original or copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, student identification card or other government document, including identification issued by an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo, that shows the name and address of the person, the address of which is [not] required to match the [voter’s certificate of] qualified elector’s registration address.”
It’s subsection B of the current law that allows “a verbal or written statement by the voter of the voter’s name, registration address and year of birth; provided, however, that the statement of the voter’s name need not contain the voter’s middle initial or suffix.”
Subsection B wouldn’t apply to same-day registration under the proposed legislation.
I’ve sent Hamilton an e-mail seeking comment. I’ll let you know if she responds.
This article has been updated to clarify that the pending legislation applies to early voting but not voting on Election Day.