In New Mexico's first semi-open primary election, over 75.6% of independent voters chose Democratic ballots, according to data from Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver's office. The trend could be driven in part by the high-profile Democratic primary race for governor between Deb Haaland and Sam Bregman. The June 2 primary election is the first in state history in which independent voters can cast a ballot without having to select a major party affiliation. However, this could potentially boost turnout rates in a state where only 25.2% of registered voters voted in the 2022 primary election. Independent voters made up about 26% of the state’s total voting population as of April.