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Supreme Court Clears The Way For Amendments To Take Effect

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Two constitutional amendments approved by voters in recent years will finally take effect thanks to a ruling by the New Mexico Supreme Court. The justices ruled the ballot measures needed only a simple majority to be approved rather than 75 percent of the vote. At issue is an amendment allowing school elections to be held in conjunction with other nonpartisan elections and one that would remove language from the constitution that excludes "idiots" and "insane persons" from voting. The measures never took effect because of a provision requiring approval by a super majority of voters — or three-fourths — if changes might restrict the rights of voters. The League of Women Voters of New Mexico and others had argued that the amendments didn't need to meet the super majority threshold since they did not restrict voter rights.