November 7, 2023 Election

Upcoming Regular Local Election

The regular local election will be held on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, for the purpose of electing a Municipal Judge and one City Councilor from each Council District. 

The City "opted-in" to the Local Election Act in 2018 (Ord. 2018-24) and is no longer responsible for running the election. Santa Fe County conducts the election.

Click here for the 2023 Candidates.

To file a campaign complaint, please download and fill out the Ethics and Campaign Review Board Complaint form and email or deliver it to the City Clerk’s Office: gfcardenas@santafenm.gov.

2023 Candidate Information 

• Chapter 9 - Election and Political Campaign Codes
• Public Campaign Financing and 2023 Regular Local Election Information - Quick Guide (Updated 8-3-2023) 
• Ordinance 2023-13 (Approved April 27, 2023)  - An Ordinance Amending the Election and Political Campaign Codes 

2023 Candidate Forms

• 2023 Nominating Form (English)     2023 Nominating Form (Spanish)
• Qualified Small Contribution
• Declaration of Candidacy
• Seed Money Form
• Record of Qualifying $5 Contribution Form

All candidates must be residents of the city of Santa Fe. The rules set forth in Section 1-1-7 NMSA 1978 shall apply in determining candidates' residency.

• City Councilor Candidates: only persons residing in the municipal election district they seek to represent and who otherwise meet all applicable requirements imposed by law or ordinance shall be allowed to be candidates for the position of city councilor.
• Municipal Judge Candidates: Only persons residing in the city of Santa Fe and who otherwise meet all applicable requirements imposed by law or ordinance shall be allowed to be candidates for the position of municipal judge.

Candidates Seeking to Utilize Public Campaign Financing

Any candidate for Municipal Judge or City Councilor may qualify as a participating candidate eligible to receive payments from the Public Campaign Finance Fund. 

Per City Code, the qualifying period means the period during which a candidate seeking to become a publicly financed candidate is permitted to collect $5 qualifying contributions and to apply for certification as a participating candidate. Qualification begins 183 days (May 8, 2023) before the election and ends 106 days (July 24, 2023) before the election. The qualifying period only applies to publicly financed candidates. Contributions and signatures can be collected in person or using our online tool. 

Participating candidates shall collect the requisite number of five-dollar qualifying contributions as follows: 

• Municipal Judge Candidates: 600 - $5 qualifying contributions from individual City of Santa Fe registered voters.
• City Councilor Candidates: 150 - $5 qualifying contributions from separately registered voters in the council district in which the candidate is running.

If you are interested in running for elected office, contact the City Clerk at kmmihelcic@santafenm.gov for additional information. 

Municipal Judge

Click the candidate's name for additional reporting information.

Publicly Financed Candidates Qualifying Contribution and Seed Money Reports

• Certificate from County Clerk Clark - Local Election 2023 Ballot Candidates 

• Declaration of Candidacy for Publicly Financed Candidates

District 1

Click each candidate's name for additional reporting information.

District 2

Click each candidate's name for additional reporting information.

District 3

Click each candidate's name for additional reporting information.

District 4

Click each candidate's name for additional reporting information.

PAC

Click the section for additional reporting information.

2023 Regular Local Election Important Dates

• June 14, 2023: Proposed City of Santa Fe Election Resolution Introduced, and the exact number of valid names, addresses, and signatures required on the Nominating Petition to be placed on the ballot for the office the candidate is seeking is provided to all candidates.
• July 24, 2023: Public campaign finance qualified period ends (106 days before the election) pursuant to section 9-2.3(v). Declared candidates seeking public campaign financing will turn in $5 qualifying contributions, Declaration of Candidacy, and Nominating petition forms to the City Clerk between 9 am and 4 pm for delivery to the County Clerk pursuant to section 9-1.6(C)1.
• August 4, 2023: Nominating Petition signatures for Candidates Seeking Public Campaign Financing delivered by the City Clerk to the County Clerk.
• August 9, 2023- Secretary of State issues an Election Proclamation calling for the Regular Local Election.
• August 10, 2023 – City Clerk determines if the declared candidate complies and is approved for public campaign financing.
• August 14, 2023 – City Clerk issues payment for public campaign funds
• August 24, 2023 - Deadline for candidates to register to vote in the district they wish to run in.
• August 29 – Candidate Filing Day – Candidates not utilizing public campaign financing will turn in their declaration of candidacy to the County Clerk’s Office between 9 am and 5 pm.
• November 7, 2023 - Election Day. Polls open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.

May 8, 2023: Public campaign financed qualified period begins (183 days preceding the election) pursuant to section 9-2.3(v).

Campaign Reporting Dates (9-2.10)

• September 8, 2023: Campaign Finance Statement to be filed by 5:00 pm (60th day preceding the election) pursuant to section 9-2.10(a)(1) – Please note the City will close at noon on September 8, 2023, for Fiesta de Santa Fe
• October 10, 2023: Campaign Finance Statement to be filed by 5:00 pm (30th day preceding the election) pursuant to section 9-2.10(a)(2) – Please note the 30th is a Sunday, and Monday, October 9, 2023, is a holiday
• October 31, 2023: Campaign Finance Statement to be filed by 5:00 pm (Tuesday preceding the election) pursuant to section 9-2.10(a)(3)
• November 6, 2023: Campaign Finance Statement to be filed by noon (Monday preceding the election) pursuant to section 9-2.10(a)(4)
• December 7, 2023: Campaign Finance Statement Final Report (within 30 days following the election pursuant to section 9-2.10(a)(5)

September 11, 2023: A publicly financed candidate may file one additional campaign finance statement reporting the receipt of qualified small contributions on the fifty-seventh (57th) day preceding the election (9-3.13(A)

To file a campaign complaint, please download and fill out the Ethics and Campaign Review Board Complaint form and email or deliver it to the City Clerk’s Office: gfcardenas@santafenm.gov.