NEW MEXICO PRIMARIES ARE STILL CLOSED. THERE WAS A CONCERTED EFFORT AT THE LEGISLATURE TO OPEN STATE PRIMARIES TO INDEPENDENTS AND EVEN OTHER SMALLER PARTY VOTERS. BUT THE FINAL EFFORT DIED OVER THE WEEKEND WITH A 9-TO-4 VOTE BY THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAD TROUBLE WITH THE IDEA OF A PROVISION TACKED ON BY AN EARLIER COMMITTEE THAT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED THE GREENS AND THE SMALLEST PARTY MEMBERS TO VOTE IN THE PRIMARIES. NINETEEN PERCENT OF VOTERS IN NEW MEXICO ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY POLITICAL PARTY … AND FOUR PERCENT ARE REGISTERED WITH MINOR PARTIES.
THE GROUP NEW MEXICO OPEN PRIMARIES SAYS IT’LL FILE A LAWSUIT TO CHALLENGE THE STATE’S ELECTION SYSTEM.
