1. A. Registration offenses consist of performing, under color of law or otherwise, any of the following acts willfully and with knowledge and intent to deceive any registration officer or to subvert the registration requirements of the law or rights of any qualified elector:

   1. (1) signing or offering to sign a certificate of registration when not a qualified elector;
   2. (2) falsifying any information on the certificate of registration;
   3. (3) soliciting, procuring, aiding, abetting, inducing or attempting to solicit, procure, aid, abet or induce any person to register or attempt to register with the name of any other person, whether real, deceased or fictitious; or
   4. (4) destroying the certificate of registration of any qualified elector, or removing such certificate from its proper binder or file, except as provided in the Election Code.
2. B. Whoever commits a registration offense is guilty of a fourth degree felony, in addition to any other offense provided by law.

History: 1953 Comp., § 3-20-2, enacted by Laws 1969, ch. 240, § 428; 1985, ch. 207, § 34; 1993, ch. 314, § 60; 1993, ch. 316, § 58; 2026, ch. 58, § 6.

ANNOTATIONS

Cross references. — For registration of electors, see 1-4-1 NMSA 1978 et seq.

For sentencing for felonies, see 31-18-15 NMSA 1978.

The 2026 amendment, effective May 20, 2026, prohibited persons acting under color of law or otherwise from committing registration offenses; added new subsection designation "A" and redesignated former Subsections A through D as Paragraphs A(1) through A(4), respectively; in Subsection A, in the introductory clause, after "performing" added "under color of law or otherwise"; added new subsection designation B; and in Subsection B, after "fourth degree felony" added "in addition to any other offense provided by law".

1993 amendments. — Identical amendments to this section were enacted by Laws 1993, ch. 314, § 60 and Laws 1993, ch. 316, § 58, both effective June 18, 1993, which substituted "certificate" for "affidavit" throughout the section.

Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — Purging voters' registration lists, remedy and procedure for, 69 A.L.R. 1035.

Voters' registration lists, attorney general as proper party to bring action to purge, 96 A.L.R. 1035.

29 C.J.S. Elections §§ 326, 342.