§ NMSA 1978, § 1-3-4Consolidation of precincts; voter convenience centers

Consolidation of precincts; voter convenience centers.
A. The board of county commissioners may permit voters in the county to cast ballots in statewide elections at voter convenience centers through the use of consolidated precincts authorized
pursuant to this section.
B. When precincts are consolidated and voter convenience centers are established for statewide elections:
(1) the resolution required by Section 1-3-2 NMSA 1978, in addition to the other matters
required by law, shall state therein which precincts have been consolidated and the location of the
voter convenience center within that consolidated precinct;
(2) any voter of the county shall be allowed to vote on a regular ballot at any voter convenience center in the county;
(3) each voter convenience center shall be a consolidated precinct composed of no more
than ten precincts;
(4) each voter convenience center shall comply with the provisions of Section 1-3-7 NMSA
1978;
(5) each voter convenience center shall have a broadband internet connection and real-time access to the voter registration electronic management system;
(6) the county clerk may maintain any alternate voting locations or mobile alternate voting locations previously used in the same election open for voting on election day as a voter convenience center, in addition to the voter convenience center established within each consolidated
precinct; provided that the locations otherwise meet the requirements of a voter convenience center; and
(7) the board of county commissioners may permit certain precincts to be exempted from
operating as a voter convenience center or being a part of a consolidated precinct; provided that if
the precinct is not designated as a mail ballot election precinct pursuant to Section 1-6-22.1 NMSA
1978 and the polling place for that precinct does not have real-time access to the voter registration
electronic management system, voters registered in a precinct as described in this paragraph are
permitted to vote at any voter convenience center on election day only by use of a provisional paper
ballot, which shall be counted after the county clerk confirms that the voter did not also vote in the
same election on any other ballot.
C. Unless the county clerk receives a written waiver from the secretary of state specifying the
location and specific provision being waived, each voter convenience center shall:
(1) have ballots available for voters from every precinct authorized to vote at that voter
convenience center;
(2) have at least one optical scan tabulator programmed to read every ballot style able to
be cast at that voter convenience center;
(3) have at least one voting system available to assist disabled voters to cast and record
their votes;
(4) have sufficient spaces for at least five voters to simultaneously and privately mark
their ballots, with at least one of those spaces wheelchair-accessible;
(5) have sufficient check-in stations to accommodate voters throughout the day as provided in Section 1-9-5 NMSA 1978;
(6) have a secure area for storage of preprinted ballots or for storage of paper ballot stock
and a system designed to print ballots at a polling location;
(7) issue a ballot to voters who have provided the required voter identification after the
voter has signed a signature roster or an electronic equivalent approved by the voting system
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certification committee or after the voter has subscribed an application to vote on a form approved
by the secretary of state; and
(8) be in a location that is accessible and compliant with the requirements of the federal
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
D. As a prerequisite to consolidation, the authorizing resolution must find that consolidation
will make voting more convenient and accessible to voters of the consolidated precinct and will
not result in delays for voters in the voting process and that the voter convenience center will be
centrally located within the consolidated precinct. The board of county commissioners shall give
due consideration to input received from any local public body in the county regarding the location
of voter convenience centers.