Accessible Voting in New Mexico
For the Tuesday, November 8, 2022 General Election in New Mexico
- Same day voter registration is available.
- All voters can request a ballot by mail.
- Early voting locations are open before Election Day
- Voters with disabilities can use an accessible vote-by-mail system.
Accessible Voting Tips
As a voter with a disability, you have a right to vote privately and independently, at an accessible voting location, on an accessible voting system.
If you need more information or assistance using your right to vote, these organizations can help
- Visit your state Voters with Disabilities page or call 1(800) 477-3632 for the options available in your state.
- Contact your local election office for help voting and details about local support for accessible voting.
- Your local Center for Independent Living has information and other support.
- Call your state National Disability Rights Network (NRDN) Protection & Advocacy office if someone is interfering with your right to vote.
- If you are a first-time voter or moved recently, check the voter ID requirements in your state. VoteRiders has information about the types of identification accepted.
- You can also call 1-800-OUR-VOTE to report any problems voting.
Your rights
As a voter with a disability, you have a right to:
- Vote privately and independently
- At an accessible polling place
- Using an accessible voting system
If you need assistance you can:
- Ask an election worker, or
- Bring someone to help you
You may request your local election officials to tell you about any voting aids, voting assistance, and absentee ballot procedures that are available.
Election officials must make any reasonable accommodations you need to vote. This might include
- A place to sit if you have trouble standing
- A quiet, private place to vote
You cannot be refused the right to vote because an election worker thinks your disability means you are not qualified to vote.
Open the sections on this page to learn more about accessible options for early voting, voting in person on election day, and voting by mail.
Accessible voting features in New Mexico for voters with disabilities
- Check with your local election office to see if you can vote by mail for all elections.
- Check with your local election office to see if an accessible vote-by-mail system is available
Ask your local election office about other support for accessible voting, like:
- Election and voting information in large print, audio, or Braille versions.
- Curbside or drive-up voting, so you don’t have to get out of your car.
- Ballot delivery to your home or a “ride to the polls” program.
- An opportunity to practice using the accessible voting system.
- Emergency voting options if you are hospitalized or ill.
- How to get assistance in marking and casting your ballot.
- Other services or assistance for voters with disabilities.
Learn more about the laws that protect your rights
Early voting is voting in person before Election Day, which is usually less crowded than going to vote on Election Day itself. There are different kinds of early voting, so check the options available for you. They might include:
- vote centers where you can vote at any location in your jurisdiction
- super polling places where you are assigned a location
- voting at an elections office or satellite office
- in-person absentee, where you go to an elections office, get your mail ballot, and then mark and cast it in the office.
October 22 through November 5, early voting is available at early voting centers and your local clerk's office.
Early voting hours and locations can vary. Check with your local elections office.
- Same-day registration is available at designated early voting locations.
- You can drop off your ballot at all early voting locations for your jurisdiction.
Find an early voting center near you.
When you vote in person on Election Day, you go to a voting center to mark and cast your ballot in person. Every in-person voting location is required to have accessible voting systems available.
Polling locations are open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.
- Same-day registration is available at all Election Day voting locations.
- You can drop off your mail ballot at all Election Day voting locations.
Find your polling place.
Accessible voting systems for in-person voting
The accessible voting systems used in New Mexico are shown below. Contact your local election office for more information or a change to practice using the system you will vote on.
Dominion ImageCast Evolution
A ballot marking device attached to a ballot scanner.
It has a touchscreen, audio, and tactile controls on a small keypad.
The ballot is printed internally and cast on the same device.
The printed ballot is a facsimile of a hand-marked paper ballot.
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Voting by mail can be an accessible option for voters with disabilities. It lets you vote at home, so you can mark, verify and return a paper ballot privately and independently. Some states have emergency options if you are hospitalized or ill. |
Deadline to return your ballot:
Received by 7:00 pm on Election Day, November 8.
How to get your ballot
- All voters can request a ballot.
To get your ballot you can:
- Request a ballot online.
- Download, print, and mail a request form.
- If you request a ballot online, you may need to provide the number from a state-issued photo ID or your Social Security Number.
How to return your ballot
By mail
At your local elections office
At a voting location on Election Day
At an early voting location
Find a ballot drop-off location near you at your local elections website.
Make sure your ballot counts! Remember...
Return your ballot promptly. Postmarks don't count.
Postage is pre-paid so you don't need a stamp.
Make sure your ballot is sealed in the envelope.
Sign the form on the envelope.
- A family member, household member, or caregiver can return your ballot for you. Contact your local elections office for more information.
- If someone helped you, have them complete the form for assistants.
Learn about accessible voting by mail options in the next card.
Accessible voting by mail allows voters with disabilities to mark a mail-in ballot electronically, using their own technology and assistive tools.
To use accessible tools for voting by mail, typically voters:
- Download an electronic ballot to mark using personal technology
- Print the ballot and any signature form
- Seal the ballot in an envelope
- Return it by mail or to a ballot drop off locatoin
Some states allow electronic return by email, fax, or a secure portal.
There is a statewide accessible vote by mail program in New Mexico called Visually Impaired Ballot
- You can use accessible vote by mail if you have a disability that prevents you from marking a paper ballot.
A visually impaired ballot is an absentee ballot designed for use with adaptive technology such as nonvisual access or low vision. It is designed for anyone with a visual impairment who has access to adaptive technology.
The accessible online absentee ballot application includes an option to request a visually impaired ballot.
Once the absentee ballot is accepted, the county clerk will
- email the voter a link to their electronic ballot
- mail an outer envelope and inner envelope
Mark the ballot using a screen reader or other technology and print it out
Deadline to return your ballot:
Received by 7:00 pm on Election Day, November 8.
Returning a printed ballot
- Print the marked ballot a check it to be sure it is marked correctly
- Follow the instructions to complete any forms
- Sign the voter’s signature form
- Seal the ballot in the envelope provided by the county clerk
To return your ballot, you can:
- By mail
- At a voting location on Election Day
- You or a near relative may deliver it in person to the elections office.
The systems in use in New Mexico for accessible voting by mail are:
Ask your local election office about the accessible vote by mail system you will use.
Learn more about accessible voting options in New Mexico