ON THE VERGE OF VICTORY IN NEW MEXICO: Bill to Open the Primaries Passes State Legislature, On its way to Governor’s Desk  

Just moments ago, the New Mexico House of Representatives passed SB16 – a bill that enfranchises the over 330,000 independent voters in New Mexico. The vote was close at 36-33, and came just one day after the bill passed the House Judiciary Committee and was endorsed by many county clerks. It has already successfully passed in the Senate.

Bob Perls, Founder of New Mexico Open Elections and a former State Representative shared:

“New Mexico made history today,” said Sila Avcil, Executive Director of New Mexico Open Elections and NM Voters First: 

“Thanks to our supporters, partners, coalition members, and legislators, we have taken a monumental step towards hundreds of thousands of New Mexicans gaining more access to some of our state’s most consequential elections. New Mexico, and our democracy, is better for it.”

Open Primaries has been a partner in this campaign from the beginning; organizing citizens, educating lawmakers, developing legal and policy analysis and building public trust over a ten year span. This year, our Let Us Vote campaign put New Mexico’s independents center stage across the state, from the pages of newspapers and across social media, to the statehouse with written testimony and meetings with legislators, letters, emails and phone calls. 

The bill now heads to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s desk for consideration.  

We Need YOUR Help: Urgent, Time-Sensitive Fundraising Campaign to go Towards 2025-2026 & Our Expanding Efforts

We are doing serious, creative, organizing at Open Primaries. We have a GREAT team of organizers. A growing network in all fifty states. Hundreds of leaders creating campaigns and initiatives at the grassroots. Lawyers. Business leaders. Students.   

What binds us together is a desire to create space for something new to emerge. Whatever it is, the American people have to create it. Our country needs something that the two parties are not providing.  Letting all voters vote in every election is an important step forward.  

Earlier this week, we launched our annual fundraising campaign and we’re so grateful for the supporters who’ve already come on board:

It means so much to our team that many of our supporters are stepping up and making a double donation to BOTH Open Primaries and the Open Primaries Education Fund–this is an all-hands- on-deck moment, and a double donation is more than just appreciated, it’s needed. 

But we have a long way to go to hit our goal of raising $1,000,000 by April 18th. Right now we’re only 5% of the way there! 

What will your donation(s) go towards? 

1. Going to court in multiple states to challenge the use of taxpayer dollars to fund private exclusionary elections. We want to put an end to this outrageous practice.
2. Supporting dozens of local campaigns across the country to pass legislation and referendums, pressure the parties to open their primaries and educate voters about why voting in primaries is where the action is.  
3. Organizing and filming informational pickets outside of polls on primary day so that millions of Americans learn the extent to which independents are shut out of the process. 
4. Building a national community of 500,000 independent voters called LetUsVote to start amplifying the voices of the ‘silent majority’ - the 50% of the country who are not team red or team blue.  
5. Launching a new spokesperson training program to invest in developing local leadership all across the country.  

This is hard work. The payoffs are few and far between. But there are no shortcuts. We have to inspire trust in the American people if we have any chance at getting out of this political pickle.   

We have big goals this year and next.  And to accomplish them we need your help.  That’s why we’re asking for two things today: 

Make a gift to our annual fundraising campaign. We are raising $750,000 to go directly towards the important advocacy work all across the country. NOT TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

Then make a tax-deductible gift to the Open Primaries Education Fund. We are raising $250,000 for our educational and litigation work. TAX DEDUCTIBLE. 

We know this is a big ask. But the work we’ve been doing for over a decade is paying off and we need to match the moment we’re in and go for broke.

Please consider making a “double donation” today. And thank you in advance for your generous support. 

ICYMI: Last week we announced that a new Spokesperson Training program (held on Zoom) has launched at Open Primaries. The program offers both independent and reform-minded citizens a creative space to develop their skills and share with others why they are independent and support primary reform.

Participants will be presented with an overview of who independents are across the country, learn key talking points to dispel commonly held myths, have a Q&A session with independent leader Jackie Salit, and get performance training from top-notch professional trainers.

 If you're interested in applying for the next Spokesperson Training on Tuesday May 20 at 6:30pm ET:

Apply here or email Gwen Mandell, Open Primaries’ new Director of Leadership Development at [email protected] for more information.

Have a great weekend,

The Open Primaries Team