The N.M. Supreme Court building in Santa Fe
Legislative incumbents and other candidates who failed to list district or division numbers on nominating petitions won’t be penalized.
The N.M. Supreme Court ruled this afternoon that legislative incumbents and other candidates who failed to list the district or division number of the seat they were seeking on nominating petitions would not be removed from the ballot.
The unanimous decision came in spite the law stating that nominating petitions that lacked those numbers at the time the petitions were signed by voters “shall be invalid.”
Here’s more from the New Mexico Telegram:
“Lawyers for those who failed to put the district numbers on their nominating petitions argued that the law was vague and pointed out differing decisions by District Court judges on the issues. Those who wanted the candidates off the ballot said the law was clear and that candidates would be removed from the ballot for failing to adhere to the new law.
“The high court said there was ambiguity in the law, according to KRQE’s Katie Kim.”
As NMPolitics.net has reported, at least 12 candidates who filed to run in the June 5 primary, including several sitting state legislators, failed to comply with the new law that requires that district or division numbers be listed on their nominating petitions.