Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 18, September 24, 2024
A. During the January monthly meeting, the
retirement board shall adopt a resolution specifying when nominating petitions
are due to be returned to PERA or an independent contractor hired by PERA to
assist with the election. These nominating petitions are due not earlier than
six months prior and not later than one month prior to the election for the
position of non-retired board member. The resolution shall also specify whether
the method of voting shall include mailed paper ballots, online electronic
ballots or other method approved by the board.
(1) Except as provided in Paragraph (2) of
this subsection, only non-retired, vested members under the Public Employees
Retirement Act, Judicial Retirement Act or the Magistrate Retirement Act shall
be eligible for election to a non-retired board member position. Only state
members, including members under the Judicial Retirement Act or the Magistrate
Retirement Act, may nominate state member candidates for state board member
positions. Only county members may nominate county member candidates for the
county board member position. Only non-county municipal members may nominate
non-county municipal member candidates for the non-county municipal board
member positions.
(2)
Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this subsection, a candidate
shall be ineligible for election to a non-retired board member position if the
candidate previously served on the board, representing any membership group,
and during that previous tenure the candidate was:
(a) subject to three or more separate board
resolutions of reprimand and censure; or
(b) removed from the board.
(3) To be eligible for inclusion
on the ballot, a candidate must provide nominating petitions to PERA with a
minimum of 150 valid nominations of non-retired PERA members from the
candidate's membership group and the candidate shall otherwise be eligible as
provided in this section for that board member position. A valid nomination
shall include a signature, a legible printing of the member's name, the
member's current employer and one of the following:
(a) the last four digits of the member's
social security number;
(b) the
member's date of birth; or
(c) the
member's PERA identification number.
A nomination that does not include at least one of these
elements shall not be counted. For purposes of this subsection, "signature"
shall include an electronic signature, in any digital format, from a single
identifiable e-mail address. A member may sign more than one nominating
petition for different candidates.
(4) The five eligible candidates with the
highest number of valid nominations for each non-retired position shall be
included on the ballot and the other or others shall be eliminated. The names
of the five non-retired members receiving the highest number of valid
nominations for a position shall be placed on the election ballot in descending
order according to the number of valid signatures received. In case of a
nominating tie, the election committee may recommend to the board a method to
determine the names and order and the board shall determine the names and order
in which the eligible candidates subject to the nominating tie are placed on
the ballot by lottery or similar method.
(5) In the event any nominee is unable or
unwilling to accept the nomination, or is otherwise ineligible for the
position, that nominee's name shall be removed from the ballot and the vacancy
on the ballot shall not be filled. If a nominee who is unable or unwilling to
accept a nomination or a nominee who is ineligible for election is included on
the ballots, the election committee and board shall treat all votes cast for
that candidate as void.
(6) If only
one eligible member is nominated for a non-retired board member position, the
election shall be cancelled and that member shall automatically be declared the
winner for the non-retired board member position pursuant to
2.80.200.80 NMAC.
(7) All members of record of the membership
group for which the election is held shall be eligible to receive a ballot as
provided in Paragraphs (8) and (9) of this subsection and members shall only be
eligible to vote in those elections in which they are eligible to receive a
ballot. The applicable membership group for any member who is no longer a
currently employed, contributing employee of an affiliated public employer
shall be determined as of the last date on which the member was a currently
employed, contributing employee of an affiliated public employer.
(8) For purposes of the election of
non-retired board members, "member of record" shall mean the following:
(a) all persons listed in PERA electronic
membership history records as members, including members covered under the
Public Employees Retirement Act, Judicial Retirement Act or the Magistrate
Retirement Act, no more than 60 days prior to the date of mailing
ballots;
(b) all persons who have
filed with PERA a valid application for membership form 60 days or more prior
to the date of mailing ballots;
(c)
while members of record shall qualify to receive a ballot, in the case of those
new members listed in Subparagraph (b) of Paragraph (8) of Subsection A of
2.80.200.70 NMAC, a written request
for a ballot must be made to PERA.
(9) For purposes of the election of
non-retired board members:
(a) ballots shall
be mailed to all non-county municipal members of record in the case of an
election of a non-county municipal board position;
(b) ballots shall be mailed to all county
municipal members of record in the case of an election of the county municipal
board position; and
(c) ballots
shall be mailed to all state members of record in the case of an election of a
state board position.
B. The campaign contribution limit of $25.00
contained in Subsection B of Section
10-11-130.1 NMSA 1978 (2000) shall
apply to each four-year term non-retired board member election.