Jeff Tucker, author and former member of the Barker Junior High School student council in New Mexico, believes independent voters could make a difference in the June 2 primaries. Independent voters, officially known as “Decline to State” on voter registration cards, can vote in either the Democratic or Republican primaries. This shift comes as the ranks of independent voters have grown rapidly than registered Democrats or Republicans. As of March 31, 371,380 New Mexicans were registered as independents, making up 26.2% of the 1,416,448 total registered voters. The trend of independents has grown after the implementation of a new statewide automatic voter registration system at Motor Vehicle Division field offices. However, some argue that independents have voted at lower rates in recent elections, with only 21.7% of registered independents voting in last year's local election in Albuquerque compared to 41.5% of Democrats and 36.8% of Republicans.