Constitutional Amendment 3Nominating committees for university regents
Read the full text of the measure: Secretary of State amendments and bond questions (PDF)
In plain words
Regents are the boards that run New Mexico's 10 state universities and special schools. Today the governor picks them, and the state Senate approves them. This amendment says the Legislature must set up a nominating committee for each school, and the governor must choose from that committee's list. Student regents would come from a list made by the elected student government, not the school president. People who switched parties shortly before being picked could not serve. Board sizes and terms stay the same. (nmlegis.gov (New Mexico Legislature) )
Before and after
| Question | Today | If it passes |
|---|---|---|
| Who picks nonstudent regents | Governor, with Senate approval | Governor, from a nominating committee's list, with Senate approval |
| Student regents | From a list by the school's president | From a list by the elected student government |
| Recent party switchers | No rule | Cannot serve if they changed political party registration in the 12 months before appointment (student members are exempt) |
| Board size and terms | 5 members (7 at UNM); 6-year terms (2 for students) | Same |
Numbers come from the official ballot title and from the full text and analyses cited on this page, not from the title alone (ballot title ); also see (nmlegis.gov (New Mexico Legislature) )
Biggest change
- Creates a nominating committee for each of the 10 institutions; no more than half of a committee's members may be from one party. source: nmlegis.gov (New Mexico Legislature)
Who it affects most: State universities and special schools, their students, and the governor.
Cost to the state: No cost estimate was published with the amendment.
Our plain-words summary. Every line points to its source.
What your vote means
The governor must pick university regents from a nominating committee's list.
The governor keeps picking regents directly, with Senate approval.
Our one-line summary. New Mexico does not publish an official "what your vote means" statement; the ballot title above is the official description.
Why people want it, and why others object
Why this is on the ballot
The Legislature put this on the ballot. It changes the state constitution, so only another statewide vote can change it back. It passes with a simple majority of the votes cast on it.
- Sen. Jeff Steinborn (D-Las Cruces), a sponsor, says governors have used the process to appoint friends or political allies, and that efforts to change it have gone on for years. source: newsfromthestates.com
Why supporters want it
- Steinborn says the current system has been "abused," that appointees have often lacked higher-education experience, and that the timing was "perfect" because no sitting governor was protecting the power. source: newsfromthestates.com
- The Legislative Council Service lists: committees could find qualified regents and reduce party influence. source: nmlegis.gov (New Mexico Legislature)
Why opponents object
- The Legislative Council Service lists: it moves power away from the governor and Senate, makes it harder to know who is responsible for a choice, and committees do not answer to voters. source: nmlegis.gov (New Mexico Legislature)
Who backs each side
- For: the legislators who sponsored HJR 1, including Sen. Jeff Steinborn. Against: no named group found. No public record found of campaign money for either side. source: newsfromthestates.com
In each side's own words where we could find them, quoted or summarized with a link to the source. We don't endorse either side.
What you will see on your ballot
Official ballot wording, word for word (tap to open)
The official ballot title, word for word from the Secretary of State's official list of constitutional amendments and bond questions .
Proposing an amendment to Article 12, Section 13 of the Constitution of New Mexico to establish nominating committees to provide lists of nominees to the governor for appointment of nonstudent members to the boards of regents of state educational institutions; providing that student members of boards of regents shall be appointed from a list provided by an elected student governing body of the institution; providing that, except for a student member, members of the boards of regents shall not have changed their political party registration in the twelve months preceding appointment.
FOR
AGAINST
Copied word for word from the Secretary of State's publication "2026 General Election: Statewide Constitutional Amendments and General Obligation Bonds" (English section), page 1. That shorter publication prints the question but not the choice words. The full 2026 Voter Guide prints FOR and AGAINST for the questions; we have not checked county ballot layouts, so confirm the words on your sample ballot.
Latest news
Recent reporting from a range of outlets, newest first. We link to it; we don't endorse it.
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Full text of the measure
Read it in the Secretary of State amendments and bond questions (PDF) .
Read more
- Secretary of State: 2026 constitutional amendments and statewide bond questions (PDF)
- Legislative Council Service: 2026 constitutional amendments (PDF)
- Source NM: Constitutional Amendments 1-3
We link to analysis from several sources; we don't endorse it.