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New Mexico's first semi-open primary yielded near record-high voter turnout 鈥� even if some independent voters are still getting used to the new system.

More than 38,000 independent voters, or those who decline to affiliate with a political party, cast a ballot in this year's primary election, according to Secretary of State's Office data.

That total represents roughly 10% of the more than 380,000 independent voters registered in the state 鈥� a group that makes up about 26% of the state's more than 1.4 million total voters.

Despite efforts by advocacy groups to raise awareness of the semi-open primary system, some candidates said many independent voters were unaware they could vote under the new law, which was approved in 2025.

But Bob Perls, a former state representative,  predicted independent voter turnout would match turnout of Republicans and Democrats by the 2028 primary election.

"Voting is like eating healthy food. You have to be exposed to it, taste it, get used to it, and then finally regularly eat it," said Perls, who pushed for the semi-open primary law before helping establish the Forward Party as New Mexico's newest minor political party.

Overall, a total of 343,768 voters around New Mexico cast ballots in the primary election 鈥� an increase of nearly 112,000 voters from the 2024 primary election, according to unofficial results.

However, the overall turnout percentage of 24.4% was only slightly higher than the turnout rate from two years ago. That's because the overall pool of eligible voters was significantly larger this year due to the implementation of the semi-open primary system.

Independents made up roughly 11% of the total votes cast in the primary, with about 73.8% of the 38,114 independent voters selecting a Democratic ballot, according to Secretary of State's Office data. The remaining independents who voted selected a Republican ballot.

Outgoing Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, who won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor on Tuesday, described the primary election as successful.

"Our democracy works best and New Mexico benefits overall when more registered voters are able to participate in our elections," said Toulouse Oliver, who supported the law opening the state's primary elections to unaffiliated voters.

Meanwhile, about 47% of the total ballots cast in this year's primary election were cast on Election Day. The majority of votes were cast via early voting 鈥� and absentee voting 鈥� that wrapped up three days before the Tuesday election.

The results of New Mexico's primary election will be made official when the state canvassing board meets June 23. The canvassing board will also order automatic recounts in races that feature particularly tight margins between the top vote-getters.

Dan Boyd covers state government and politics for the Journal in Santa Fe. Follow him on X at or reach him via email at dboyd@abqjournal.com.