Democracy Issues:
Democracy Matters
An equitable and just democracy is critical to ensuring that our government serves and represents all New Mexicans and all communities. The communities hardest hit by climate change and plagued with legacy pollution – rural, Indigenous and/or communities of color – have also historically been denied access to the ballot box.
In 2021 alone, 19 states passed 34 laws restricting access to voting, and more than 440 bills were introduced in 49 states. These restrictions disproportionately target voters of color, creating more obstacles to prevent communities from exercising their right to vote.
CVNM works to connect communities of color, Indigenous communities, low-wealth communities, rural communities, and young voters to our country’s civic process. The power to fight back against corporate polluters and take state action on climate grows when every voice in every community is represented in our democracy.
Related Work
Learn more about your political power.
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Tuesday, February 17th 2026, the New Mexico state legislature passed SB 264 Election Rights and Troops at Elections on a party-line vote of 41-26. The legislation, sponsored by Senators Angel Charley and Joseph Cervantes, and Representatives Katy Duhigg, Heather Bergmans, and Cindy Nava, makes election interference by ICE officials or…
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Tuesday, February 17th, the Senate passed HJR 5 Legislative Compensation, CA on a vote of 23-19. The measure would provide state legislators with a salary for the first time, equivalent to the median salary for New Mexico residents. New Mexico is the last state in the nation with a fully-volunteer…
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To further the expansion of democracy in New Mexico, CVNM has joined the chorus of citizens and organizations calling for the adoption of Ranked Choice Voting for Albuquerque municipal elections.
Broad-Based Support
CVNM partners with and supports these organizations in order to connect New Mexicans to the issues that matter most to them.
Special thanks to…

