Voting is a core tenet of democracy, yet millions of people across the country, including more than 24,000 New Mexicans, are barred from the ballot box because of felony convictions. This has disproportionately excluded people of color and low-income people from the democratic process.
Ask your legislators to support House Bill 57, a measure that would eliminate the ban on voting rights for incarcerated citizens and delete current language requiring people convicted of a felony to go through an onerous process of re-registering to vote. If passed, New Mexico would join Vermont and Maine as the only states to completely prohibit felony disenfranchisement.
As House Bill 57 prepares to go in front of the Judiciary Committee, we need your help to get it over the finish line. Contact members of the committee and let them know you support House Bill 57 and they should too.
New Mexico House Judiciary Members:
- Gail Chasey (D) - gail@gailchasey.com
- Daymon Ely (D) - daymon.ely@nmlegis.gov
- Eliseo Lee Alcon (D) - eliseo.alcon@nmlegis.gov
- Deborah Armstrong (D) - deborah.armstrong@nmlegis.gov
- Zachary J. Cook (R) zachary.cook@nmlegis.gov
- Micaela Cadena (D) - micaela.cadena@nmlegis.gov
- Greg Nibert (R) greg.nibert@nmlegis.gov
- Christine Chandler (D) - christine.chandler@nmlegis.gov
- Brian Egolf (D) - brian.egolf@nmlegis.gov
- William “Bill” R. Rehm (R) bill.rehm@nmlegis.gov
- Dayan Hochman-Vigil (D) - dayan.hochman-vigil@nmlegis.gov
- Georgene Louis (D) - georgene.louis@nmlegis.gov
- James G. Townsend (R) townsend@pvtn.net
- Matthew McQueen (D) - matthew.mcqueen@nmlegis.gov
Sample E-Mail Text:
Dear Representative (Name):
As one of your constituents, I am reaching out today to ask you to support House Bill 57, which would end felony disenfranchisement in New Mexico.
Reinstating the vote for citizens convicted of a felony affirms the fundamental democratic principle that every citizen deserves a voice in determining how our society is governed. As of 2017, over 24,000 New Mexicans were not eligible to vote due to felony convictions. Felony disenfranchisement, a practice that has its roots in racist Jim Crow policies, disproportionately affects communities of color and has no place in a modern democracy.
House Bill 57 would eliminate the ban on voting and remove current language requiring people convicted of a felony to go through an onerous process of re-registering to vote. It’s time to do away with undemocratic voting bans and allow those serving a felony conviction to assume their civic responsibilities and rejoin the political process. Enfranchising incarcerated citizens encourages education, rehabilitation, and successful reintegration into society by providing opportunities for democratic engagement in a grim environment. If passed, New Mexico would join Maine and Vermont as the only states to completely prohibit felony disenfranchisement.
I urge you to support House Bill 57 to ensure that the voices of all New Mexicans are heard. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
(Your Name)
