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New Mexico · November 3, 2026 general election · Statewide ballot measure

Constitutional Amendment 1: what your vote means

Governor’s veto messages and the “pocket veto”. On every New Mexico ballot. Official sources checked October 22, 2026.

Constitutional Amendment 1 · Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

Governor’s veto messages and the “pocket veto”

Heads up: voting YES on this measure removes the governor’s “pocket veto,” so end-of-session bills the governor does not act on would become law.

Official ballot title (quoted exactly)

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 4, SECTION 22 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF NEW MEXICO TO REQUIRE THE GOVERNOR TO PROVIDE VETO MESSAGES ON ALL BILLS VETOED IN WHOLE OR IN PART AND TO PROVIDE THAT ALL BILLS PASSED BY THE LEGISLATURE AND NOT ACTED ON BY THE GOVERNOR WILL BECOME LAW.

Ballot text as printed by the New Mexico Legislative Council Service in its summary of the constitutional amendments on the November 3, 2026 ballot.

A YES vote means:

Bills presented to the governor in the last three days of a session would become law unless the governor vetoes them within 20 days after adjournment, and every veto would have to include an explanation.

A NO vote means:

The governor could continue to block such bills by not acting on them (a “pocket veto”), without giving an explanation.

What it would change

  • Who is affected: the governor, the Legislature, and anyone affected by bills passed near the end of a session.
  • What it removes: the pocket veto, under which an unsigned end-of-session bill does not become law.
  • New requirement: any full or partial veto must include an explanation.
  • Fiscal impact: No official fiscal impact statement is published in the Legislative Council Service summary or the Secretary of State voter guide for this amendment.

Official arguments, summarized

Short neutral summaries of the arguments printed in the official voters’ pamphlet. The committees that wrote them are responsible for their content. Read the full text at the link below.

Argument for

Supporters say it would make vetoes more transparent and balance power between the branches.

Argument against

Opponents say it is unnecessary because the Legislature can already override vetoes or send bills earlier, and that the undefined explanation requirement could be burdensome and lead to litigation.

Legislative Council Service: arguments for and against Constitutional Amendment 1 (PDF)

Who supports it and who opposes it

These lists come from official campaign filings (registered committees) and public endorsements, each linked to its source. They are not complete, and SaveYourState does not endorse anyone listed.

Who supports it

Not yet compiled

Who opposes it

Not yet compiled

Official sources

SaveYourState is independent and nonpartisan, not a government site, and does not take positions on ballot measures. This explainer describes effects only, using the official ballot title, explanatory statement, full text, and fiscal impact statement. If anything here differs from those documents, the official documents control.