Section 1-15-18.1 - United States representative; vacancy. - New Mexico Statutes

1-15-18.1. United States representative; vacancy.

A.     Ten days after a vacancy occurs in the office of United States representative, the governor shall, by proclamation, call a special election to be held not less than eighty-four nor more than ninety-one days after the date of the vacancy for the purpose of filling the vacancy, except as provided in Subsections E and F of this section. 

B.     Upon the issuance of the governor's proclamation, each qualified political party may nominate in the manner provided by the rules of that party a candidate to fill the vacancy in the office of United States representative; provided that such nomination is certified to the secretary of state by the state chair of that party no later than 5:00 p.m. on the fifty-sixth day preceding the date of the special election. 

C.     Declarations of independent candidacy to fill the vacancy in the office of United States representative and nominating petitions pertaining thereto shall be filed with the secretary of state no later than 5:00 p.m. on the  fifty-sixth day preceding the date of the special election. 

D.     Special elections called for the purpose of filling a vacancy in the office of United States representative shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Election Code [Chapter 1 NMSA 1978]; provided, however, if there is a conflict between this section and other provisions of the Election Code, the provisions of this section shall control. 

E.     If a vacancy occurs in the office of United States representative after the date of the primary election and before the date of the general election of that same year, the vacancy shall be filled at that general election of the same year.  Candidates seeking the office of United States representative in that general election for the next succeeding term shall be deemed to be candidates for the unexpired term as well, and the candidate elected shall take office upon the certification of the election results. 

F.     If a vacancy occurs in the office of United States representative when there are more than one hundred vacancies in the United States house of representatives and there are more than seventy-five days before a regularly scheduled election or previously scheduled special election, then: 

(1)     the governor shall, by proclamation, call a special election to be held not more than forty-nine days after the vacancy is announced;  

(2)     each qualified political party may nominate in the manner provided by the rules of that party a candidate to fill the vacancy in the office of United States representative; provided that such nomination is certified to the secretary of state by the state chair of that party no later than 5:00 p.m. on the tenth business day following announcement of the vacancy; and 

(3)     declarations of independent candidacy to fill the vacancy in the office of United States representative and nominating petitions pertaining thereto shall be filed with the secretary of state no later than 5:00 p.m. on the twentieth day following announcement of the vacancy.