§ NMSA 1978, § 1-4-1.1Authorization to verify voter registration information; investigation and reconciliation

Authorization to verify voter registration information; investigation and reconciliation.
A. The secretary of state may:
(1) provide to the chief election officer of another state or a consortium of chief election officers of other states information that is requested, including social security numbers, dates of birth,
driver's licenses and identification card numbers and other information that the secretary of state
deems necessary for the chief election officer of that state or for the consortium to maintain a voter
registration list, if the secretary of state is satisfied that the information provided pursuant to this
paragraph will be used only for the maintenance of that voter registration list; and
(2) request from the chief election officer of another state or a consortium of chief election
officers of other states information that the secretary of state deems necessary to maintain the
statewide voter registration list.
B. The secretary of state may enter into a written agreement with an agency or political subdivision of this state or with a department of the federal government pursuant to which the state
agency, political subdivision or federal department shall provide to the secretary of state information that is in the possession of the state agency, political subdivision or federal department and
that the secretary of state deems necessary to maintain the statewide voter registration list.
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C. The secretary of state shall enter into a written agreement with the secretary of taxation
and revenue to match information in the database of the voter registration electronic management
system with information in the database of the motor vehicle division of the taxation and revenue
department to the extent required to enable each official to verify the accuracy of the information
provided on applications for voter registration. Upon the execution of the written agreement, the
secretary of taxation and revenue shall enter into an agreement with the federal commissioner of
social security pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Section 15483 (now 52 U.S.C. Section 21083), for the purpose
of verifying applicable information.
D. The secretary of state shall provide to the appropriate county clerk in this state and to no
other person necessary information or documentation received by the secretary of state from or
through an agency or political subdivision of this state, a federal department, the chief election officer of another state or a consortium of chief election officers of other states that calls into question
the information provided on a certificate of registration; that raises questions regarding the status
of a person registered to vote in this state; or that suggests that a voter may have voted in two
states during the same election. The county clerk shall only disclose information received from the
secretary of state pursuant to this subsection to complete an investigation pursuant to this section.
E. The county clerk shall investigate or reconcile the information received from the secretary
of state. The secretary of state shall develop and maintain a manual for county clerks that describes best practices in investigating and reconciling information that is derived from comparisons of different databases, including safeguards to ensure that eligible voters are not removed in
error from the official list of voters.