At the May 20, 2026 Finance Committee meeting, members discuss the option for the City of Española to opt into state-wide elections administered by the Secretary of State, with strong encouragement from the Santa Fe County Clerk. The change would shift much of the election administration, leaving the Municipal Clerk primary responsibilities around public financing and signature forms, and is expected to save local election costs and increase turnout. City Manager Ortiz commits to preparing a resolution to move this question to full Council, indicating that the governance decision is pending. While election operations may centralize at the state, the City will still need voter information, public communication, campaign finance compliance tools, and records management aligned to the new model, creating opportunities for election-related software and public communication services.

Opting in is reported to have zero direct cost to the municipality but significant implications for ...