Publication date: November 9, 2022
Written by: Sarah Coffey
The Center for Excellence in Polling (CEP) recently surveyed likely voters in New Mexico on important issues in the state. Results indicate that voters oppose teaching gender identity and sexual education topics to elementary school students and they oppose environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria in investing. Meanwhile, there is strong support for reforms that will promote election integrity and border security.
New Mexico voters oppose ESG and support education reform
Voters oppose politically driven investing strategies like environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. CEP found that nearly three-quarters of likely voters in the state oppose investing taxpayer money in banks and investment funds that make business decisions based on their political agenda, including majorities of Democrats (66%) and Independents (83%).
Further, voters support reforms that would make education more transparent for students and parents.
54%
…of likely voters oppose teaching gender identity and sexual education topics in New Mexico’s public elementary schools.
63%
…support requiring school boards to publicly disclose all proposed school curricula.
82%
…support requiring high schools to inform students about the average costs of college, vocational and technical training, student loans, and the top 10 most in-demand occupations in the state.
62%
…support requiring publicly funded colleges, universities, and job training programs to disclose student completion rates, average incomes, and average student debt.
Election integrity reforms are popular
Likely voters in New Mexico support reforms that will improve the security of the state’s elections. A majority of likely voters, including 89 percent of Republicans and 67 percent of Independents, support requiring a valid, government-issued photo ID for in-person voting.
Voters also support measures that will better secure absentee ballots. Survey results indicate that a majority of likely voters support requiring absentee ballots to include a valid, government-issued ID number, such as a state ID number or Social Security number (59%). An even more remarkable majority oppose allowing biased or partisan special interest groups to send absentee ballot applications to voters who did not request them (78%).
Voters favor a secure border
New Mexico voters broadly support efforts to secure the southern border. A majority support deploying the National Guard to the border to assist with enforcing immigration laws, including most Republicans (90%) and Independents (59%). And more than half oppose “catch-and-release” policies that involve apprehending individuals who have crossed the border illegally and then releasing them into the United States, with 60 percent of likely voters opposing. This includes majorities of Republicans (82%) and Independents (70%).