Section 1-3-12 - Adjusting precinct boundaries. - New Mexico Statutes

1-3-12. Adjusting precinct boundaries.

A.     Before each federal decennial census, every precinct boundary shall be adjusted to coincide with a  feature or a boundary that is:

(1)     shown on the standard base maps developed pursuant to Subsection B of this section;

(2)     a designated census block boundary on the proposed federal PL 94-171 2010 census block maps; or

(3)     approved by the secretary of state and the bureau of the census.

B.     Prior to commencement of the federal decennial census, the secretary of state shall have prepared and shall furnish to each county clerk standard base maps of the county.  The standard base map for urban and nonurban areas of the county shall, as nearly as practical, show:

(1)     all state and federal highways;

(2)     all numbered and named county roads that have been certified to the department of transportation;

(3)     all military installation boundaries and federal and state prison boundaries;

(4)     all major railroad lines;

(5)     federal, state and county political boundaries, municipal boundaries and school district boundaries;

(6)     all streets within urban areas; and

(7)     other major terrain features such as flowing rivers and streams, arroyos, powerlines, pipelines, roads, trails and ridgelines and other acceptable census block boundaries. 

C.     The board of county commissioners and the county clerks, upon receipt of the standard base maps from the secretary of state, shall:

(1)     adjust all precinct boundaries to coincide with numbered or named street boundaries or suitable visible terrain features shown on the standard base map; provided that the precincts shall be composed of contiguous and compact areas, and state, county, municipal, school district and other political boundary lines shall serve as precinct boundaries whenever possible; and 

(2)     upon the completion of the precinct boundary adjustments as required in this section, indicate on the standard base maps the boundaries for both urban and nonurban precincts and, together with a written description of the precincts, shall send an electronic copy in a format approved by the secretary of state or four copies of the precinct maps to the secretary of state for approval.

D.     The precincts shown upon the standard base maps submitted pursuant to the provisions of this section and as revised and approved by the secretary of state pursuant to the Precinct Boundary Adjustment Act [1-3-10 to 1-3-14 NMSA 1978] shall become the official precincts of each county for the 2011 redistricting.  For the 2012 and subsequent primary and general elections, changes in precincts shall be made in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 1, Article 3 NMSA 1978.

E.     A local public body, when creating or redrawing districts, shall not split a precinct into two or more districts for any elected office unless necessary to comply with federal law or to preserve communities of interest.

F.     Precincts shall be designated solely by whole numbers.