As used in the Local Election Act:

1. A. "local election" means a local government election;
2. B. "local governing body" means a board, council or commission, as appropriate for a given local government;

3. C. "local government" means a:

   1. (1) political subdivision of the state with authority to levy taxes pursuant to Article 8, Section 9 of the constitution of New Mexico and its enabling legislation, but does not include a county or a conservancy district created and organized pursuant to The Conservancy Act of New Mexico [73-14-1 NMSA 1978]; and
   2. (2) political subdivision of the state without authority to levy taxes pursuant to Article 8, Section 9 of the constitution of New Mexico or its enabling legislation, but whose statutory provisions provide for election of officers or ballot questions to be decided pursuant to the Local Election Act;
4. D. "municipal officers" means the local governing body and any elective executive and judicial officers of a municipality;
5. E. "regular local election" means the biennial local election at which local governing body members are elected pursuant to the provisions of the Local Election Act; and
6. F. "special local election" means a local election conducted at a time other than a statewide election at which only ballot questions are considered pursuant to the provisions of the Special Election Act [Chapter 1, Article 24 NMSA 1978].

History: 1978 Comp., § 1-22-2, enacted by Laws 1985, ch. 168, § 4; 1987, ch. 249, § 45; 1999, ch. 267, § 33; 2015, ch. 145, § 79; repealed and reenacted Laws 2018, ch. 79, § 17; 2019, ch. 212, § 140; repealed and reenacted by Laws 2019, ch. 212, § 141; 2025, ch. 21, § 1.

ANNOTATIONS

Repeals and reenactments. — Laws 2019, ch. 212, § 141 repealed former 1-22-2 NMSA 1978 and enacted a new section, effective July 1, 2022.

The 2025 amendment, effective March 21, 2025, revised the definition of "local government" as used in the Local Election Act; in Subsection C, Paragraph C(1), after "does not include a county" added "or a conservancy district created and organized pursuant to The Conservancy Act of New Mexico".

The 2019 amendment, effective April 3, 2019, revised the definition of "local government", defined "regular local election" and "special local election", and removed the definition of "proper filing officer", as used in the Local Election Act; in Subsection C, after "means a", deleted the remainder of the subsection and added Paragraphs C(1) and C(2); and deleted former Subsection E, which defined "proper filing officer", and added new Subsections E and F.

The 2015 amendment, effective July 1, 2015, removed the qualifier "local" from "school district"; in Subsection A, after "authority of the", deleted "local"; and in Subsection F, after "schools of the", deleted "local".

The 1999 amendment, effective June 18, 1999, substituted "but does not include a recall election" for "except a recall election" in Subsection E.