Bill > SJR6

This Joint Resolution proposes an amendment to the New Mexico Constitution to make elections for judges at all levels, including the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, District Courts, and Metropolitan Courts, nonpartisan. Currently, some judicial elections in New Mexico are partisan, meaning candidates are affiliated with a political party. This resolution aims to change that by requiring that all initial elections for these judicial positions be nonpartisan, and that subsequent retention elections, where voters decide whether to keep a judge in office, also be nonpartisan. For a judge to be retained, they would need at least 57% of the votes cast on the retention question. The resolution also specifies the frequency of these retention elections for different judicial levels: every eight years for Supreme Court and Court of Appeals judges, every six years for District Court judges, and every four years for Metropolitan Court judges. Finally, it includes a provision for judges already in office who were elected in partisan elections, allowing them to be eligible for retention elections at the end of their current terms.