Los Alamos Clerk explains new semi-open primary voting changes, key dates

County Clerk Michael Redondo is warning Los Alamos voters that the rules for the June 2 primary are changing in a way many people could easily miss. For the first time, New Mexico is using a semi-open primary system, and that shift affects who can vote, when they need to act, and how carefully they need to follow the county’s calendar.

What Redondo says is changing

The biggest change is simple but consequential: independent and Declined-to-State voters can take part in the primary without changing their registration, while registered Democrats and Republicans continue voting in their own party primaries. That matters in Los Alamos because a voter who has stayed unaffiliated for years may assume a primary is closed to them, and a major-party voter may not realize the rules are now broader for some voters but not all.

Redondo’s presentation to the Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos was meant to make that distinction clear before the county enters the busiest stretch of the election season. The semi-open system is being used for the first time in the June 2, 2026 Primary Election, so this is not a routine cycle with familiar assumptions. The county’s education materials say the new structure lets independent and Declined-to-State voters participate without switching registration, which makes voter education especially important for people who do not follow election administration closely.

The dates that matter most

The calendar is tight, and missing one deadline can change a voter’s options. Early voting begins May 5, the same day online registration and registration at the Clerk’s Office close and same-day registration begins. Expanded early voting starts May 16 and continues through May 30. Absentee ballot requests are due May 19, and Election Day is Tuesday, June 2.

For busy voters, the practical takeaway is to act early rather than wait for the final week. If you are planning to vote absentee, May 19 is the line that matters most. If you want to register or make sure your voter record is current before the election, May 5 is the date to circle.

Expanded early voting will be available in Los Alamos at two familiar locations: the Los Alamos Municipal Building and White Rock Town Hall. That matters for residents who live farther from the county center or who need a more convenient in-person option than waiting until Election Day.

• May 5: early voting begins, and same-day registration begins
• May 16 to May 30: expanded early voting at the Municipal Building and White Rock Town Hall
• May 19: absentee ballot request deadline
• June 2: Election Day

The people most likely to get tripped up are the ones who have the least reason to think about primary rules until the last minute: independent voters, Declined-to-State voters, newer residents, college students, workers with inflexible schedules, and anyone who usually votes only in general elections. The new system opens the door for some voters, but only if they know the door is open.

What the Clerk’s Office does beyond elections

Redondo also used the presentation to show that the County Clerk’s Office is not just an election shop. It runs elections, qualifies candidates, creates ballots, proofs voting-machine programming, and conducts a post-election audit that includes hand-counting ballots. Those steps are the backbone of how Los Alamos County checks that votes are recorded and counted properly.

That work connects directly to trust in the system, but the office’s responsibilities do not stop there. Los Alamos County says the Clerk’s Office maintains more than 130,000 electronic public record documents and handles records that include deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, plats, death records, probate cases, government documents, and marriage records. The office also serves as clerk of the Probate Court and clerk of the County Council.

That means the clerk’s office sits at the center of two things residents rely on every day: democracy and public administration. If people are searching for a marriage record, a real estate filing, a probate matter, or County Council minutes, they are often relying on the same office that is also preparing ballots and overseeing election procedures.

Why the process matters now

The timing makes the clerk’s message more than routine civic housekeeping. A recent report said 20 of 33 New Mexico county clerk websites still lacked semi-open primary information just days before voting was set to begin, which suggests some voters could be left guessing unless they hear the rules from local officials directly. That is exactly the kind of gap that can depress turnout or send people to the wrong ballot line on Election Day.

Los Alamos also has a recent record of checking its own work in public. After the 2024 General Election, the county completed a state-mandated recount and audit of a County Council race, and officials said the hand count matched the machine results exactly. In an election year where a new primary system is being rolled out, that kind of verification is not a side note. It is part of the county’s case that the process is being run carefully from start to finish.

What busy voters should do now

For Los Alamos voters, the safest approach is to treat the next few weeks as a deadline window, not a single election day. Check your registration status before May 5, make a plan for whether you will vote early, absentee, or on June 2, and do not assume the old primary rules still apply. Independent and Declined-to-State voters have new access, major-party voters still follow party ballots, and the county has put the key dates in place for a reason.

Redondo’s message was ultimately about control and clarity: know your status, know your deadline, and do not wait until the final week to figure out how the new primary works.