New Mexico Regulations § 1.10.22.6 OBJECTIVE

The Help America Vote Act, PL 107-252, effective October 29, 2002, requires the casting of a provisional ballot in the following circumstances; a voter whose name does not appear on the roster at the polling place, on the county voter file, or a new voter who has not provided the required identification to vote. The Election Code also provides for the use of a provisional ballot qualification process in the instance of an affirmed challenge or when a replacement ballot for an absent voter is required or in the event of an emergency, as defined in Section 1-6-16.2 NMSA 1978. This rule creates uniform criteria for the issuance and reporting of all provisional ballots and offers consistency in the qualification process and for the counting and canvassing of provisional ballots. The rule also provides for the secrecy of a provisional voter's ballot during each stage of the election process, extending through a recount or contest of the election and the ensuing requalification of the provisional ballots.