Senate Joint Resolution 5 is a Constitutional Amendment that is Common Cause’s core priority this legislative session.  Please e-mail your legislators who sit on the Senate Rules Committee to support this amendment – and we will provide more details on how exactly you can help.

During the past two years we have seen local governing bodies flooded by misinformation, threats and attacks against the implementation of local rules and regulations developed to keep our children and the public safe during the pandemic. These extremist groups are targeting these local elections as a way to “gain a foothold’ in school boards and other local governmental bodies because winning candidates don’t need to garner a majority vote to win in these elections. In fact, several recent school board elections have resulted in school board members elected by well under 50% of the total votes cast.

By giving local governing bodies (ie. school boards) the ability to conduct runoff elections, the public is guaranteed that the person taking office is ultimately elected by a true majority.

WHY IS THIS CHANGE NEEDED & WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

• Gives local governing bodies the authority to conduct elections in a manner that best serves their communities.
• Ensures local governing bodies represent the voice of communities they are elected to serve.

• Could reduce the need for a costly special session/s to address a single election issue
• Eliminates restrictive constitutional language surrounding elections

WHAT DOES SJR5 DO?

• Permits the use of runoff elections in local governing bodies
• Gives local governing bodies the ability to guarantee voters that candidates are elected by a true majority

Voters, school children, local governing boards, election administrators, and all New Mexicans will be affected by this bill.  So let’s come together and contact the Senate Rules Committee members (especially if one of them represents you!) to get this bill heard in a timely manner and approved by the committee.  Thank you for your help.