New Mexico voters will decide on an amendment relating to the appointments to members of the Board of Regents on Nov. 3, 2026. The amendment passed both chambers of the state legislature.

The amendment, House Joint Resolution 1 (HJR 1), was introduced in the New Mexico House of Representatives by Rep. Christine Chandler (D). On Feb. 6, HJR 1 passed the House by 67-0, and on Feb. 17, the Senate approved the amendment by 34-7. Constitutional amendments do not need the governor’s signature to be referred to the ballot.

The amendment would change the way appointments to the Board of Regents, the governing bodies that manage public universities in the state, are made. Seven state universities—Eastern New Mexico University, New Mexico Highlands University, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, New Mexico State University, Northern New Mexico College, University of New Mexico, Western New Mexico University—are governed by a Board of Regents.

The duties of the Board of Regents include providing fiduciary oversight, management, and establishment of policies to state universities. Currently, the members of the Board of Regents are appointed by the governor with approval by the Senate. They serve staggered six-year terms, except for the student regent, who serves a two-year term. 

Key provisions of HJR 1 include establishing nominating committees to provide lists of candidates to the Board; requiring the governor to nominate regents from a list provided by nominating committees for each institution; and providing that student members are appointed from a list provided by the student governing body. Additionally, it would prohibit non-student members from changing political party 12 months prior to their appointment.

New Mexico voters previously approved two amendments related to the Board of Regents. Most recently, in 2014, voters approved an amendment that added Northern New Mexico College (NNMC) to a list of state universities that were required to have a member of the student body serve on the board of regents. In 1986, voters approved an amendment that expanded the University of New Mexico Board of Regents from five members to seven members. 

This amendment will join three other measures on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot—an amendment that would eliminate the gubernatorial pocket veto, an amendment that would provide that school elections will no longer be required to be separate from partisan elections, and another that would establish state salaries for state legislators.