How to be a Write In Candidate
Filing Date Deadline
Filing date for Write-In candidates is Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021. You can obtain and file your declaration with the County Clerk.
A new section of the Local Election Act, Section 1-22-8.1 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:
1-22-8.1. WRITE-IN CANDIDATES.--
- Write-in candidates shall be permitted in regular local elections.
- A person may be a write-in candidate only if the person has the qualifications to be a candidate for the position for which the person is running.
- A person desiring to be a write-in candidate for an office shall file with the proper filing officer a declaration of candidacy. The declaration shall be filed between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on the sixty-third day preceding the date of the election. The county clerk shall ensure that a declaration of candidacy filed pursuant to this section specifies that it is for a write-in candidate.
- At the time of filing the declaration of candidacy, the write-in candidate shall be considered a candidate for all purposes and provisions relating to candidates in the Local Election Act, except that the write-in candidate's name shall not be printed on the ballot nor posted in any polling place.
Required Forms
- Write-In Financial Disclosure
- Campaign Financing Statements as Required by the City Charter
Please remember that the same rules apply for campaign finance reporting outlined in the City Charter.