New Mexico joins states with polling place gun laws

(NewsNation) — Heading into what is expected to be a contentious election season, New Mexico recently joined the states that don’t permit voters to bring guns with them to their polling places.

But the Land of Enchantment may not be the last state where tougher gun laws could make the intimidation of voters and election workers tougher. The New Mexico measure, which was signed into law by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham earlier this month, prohibits voters from bringing firearms to within 100 feet of polling places and 50 feet of ballot drop boxes.

Under the law, anyone convicted of violating the measure would face a misdemeanor charge that could lead to them spending six months in jail.

At least 21 other states have similar laws in place, according to Stateline, which reported that nine of the measures have gone into effect in the past two years. At least six other states are considering polling place gun bills, which have been introduced by Democratic lawmakers.

The bills, many of which remain in committee, would ban open or concealed carry while many would ban both.

In each case, most types of firearms would be banned from election sites and polling places.

“Our national climate is increasingly polarized,” New Mexico Democratic State Rep. Reena Szczepanski told Stateline. “Anything we can do to turn the temperature down and allow for the safe operation of our very basic democratic right, voting, is critical.”

Lawmakers in states where gun laws have been passed have expressed concerns over former President Donald Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was rigged. A survey conducted by the Brennan Center For Justice in 2023 found that several polling locations around the country have seen a high level of turnover among election workers over threats of perceived violence.

The survey found that 45% of local election officials fear for the safety of their colleagues at a time when many polling place workers face harassment, online threats and abuse.

Szczepanski, one of the New Mexico bill’s sponsors, said that she helped to introduce the measure after poll workers in Santa Fe said they were threatened by people who were openly carrying firearms during the 2020 presidential election.

The law does make exceptions for law enforcement officers and anyone with a concealed carry license.

Now that the New Mexico bill has passed, similar laws in Illinois, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Vermont could be considered for passage.

The Michigan Senate approved a measure this month that would make it illegal to carry a gun within 100 feet of a polling place. While the bill’s supporters believe that it will make election sites safer, opponents of the measure feel like it infringes on voter’s rights.

“I don’t think we needed to go down the path of (imposing) … a universal ban on any firearms,” State Sen. Jonathan Lindsey told CBS News Detroit. “There are a lot of law-abiding, peaceful people that choose to keep a firearm on them for self-defense and that’s not something we should do a blanket ban just because they’re going to vote.”