Your Vote: Paying State Legislators & Protecting Voting Rights

This episode of 'New Mexico in Focus' explores two pivotal democratic reforms on the horizon for New Mexico voters: a ballot measure to pay state legislators and the push for ranked choice voting in Albuquerque. Host Ludovizio DeVizio interviews Mason Graham, policy director at Common Cause New Mexico, who argues that compensating legislators—proposed at $68,000 annually, tied to the state’s median household income—would modernize the legislature, reduce the dominance of the 'three R's' (retired, rich, resourceful), and improve policy quality by enabling more diverse and capable candidates to serve. Graham also discusses how recent reforms like full-time legislative aides have already begun to counterbalance the influence of lobbyists and improve legislative capacity. The episode further examines the stalled ranked choice voting ordinance in Albuquerque, highlighting its potential to reduce costly runoff elections and improve representation. On the national front, the show addresses threats to voting rights under the Trump administration, emphasizing New Mexico’s strong election infrastructure—including voting access centers, same-day registration, and mail-in voting—and the critical role of grassroots election protection programs to safeguard democratic participation amid rising political tensions.