For the first time, Mexican immigrants residing in the United States will be able to vote at 20 consulates and the Mexican Embassy in Washington, DCaccording to guidelines from the National Electoral Institute (INE) and other Mexican institutes.
“Through consulates and embassies in the case, we do not need to register, we arrive directly on the first Sunday of election day to vote,” Mauricio Huesca, electoral advisor of the Electoral Institute of Mexico City (IECM), confirmed to this newspaper. , responsible for the so-called Chilango Vote abroad.
He added that it is even being explored that voters, at least those originally from Mexico City, can vote in advance at the June 2, 2024 (day of the in-person election), taking into consideration travel times for some immigrants.
“We are exploring, together with the national electoral authority, whether to even open the voting period in consulates, because concentrating all the voting in a single day, due to travel times… is more complicated,” he acknowledged.
According to information from the INE, in addition to the Mexican Embassy in DC, Mexican immigrants will be able to vote in 20 consulates: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Fresno, Houston, Los Angeles, New Brunswick, New York, Oklahoma, Orlando, Phoenix, Raleigh, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Ana and Seattle.
The consulates correspond to the metropolitan areas with the most Mexican immigrants, in states such as Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas.
In the election for the State of Mexico and Coahuila, last June, the INE carried out a first exercise on in-person voting, where the organization Fuerza Migrante served as official observer.
This test of the new form of voting occurred in the consulates of Dallas, Texas; Los Angeles, California, and Chicago, Illinois.
The report from Fuerza Migrante is that Some Mexican immigrants complained that they were unable to vote.because his credential had been issued in Mexico, something that should not be a problem.
Questioned about this, Counselor Huescas said that the IECM and the INE will have officials in the Mexican consulates in the US.
“In the case of the in-person voting modality [si hay] In some situation, let’s say, inappropriate, there will have been officials from both the Electoral Institute of Mexico City itself and the National Electoral Institute, who will be managing the problems that may arise related to credentialing, related to the registration process, which They may be the most important reasons,” said Huescas.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SER) was asked for an expansion on the processes in consulates, but so far no details were provided.
A great step for Mexican democracy
The organization Fuerza Migrante celebrated the new step of the Mexican electoral system to allow immigrants to exercise their right to vote from abroad.
“Fuerza Migrante celebrates the next big step taken in favor of the political rights of the Mexican community resident abroad,” said Avelino Meza, general secretary of that organization. “It will undoubtedly be a great challenge for the National Electoral Institute and the state electoral institutes to successfully promote voting mechanisms, which was one of the main requests/observations that we made after the exercise we carried out as electoral observers during the pilot plan that “It took place in the Mexican consulates in Dallas, Chicago and Los Angeles.”
He added that the authorities must better promote voting from abroad, in order to achieve a better turnout.
“A much more aggressive communication mechanism must be implemented to massify and take advantage of the vote of Mexicans abroad,” Meza said. “[Las autoridades] “They must involve organized civil society in the United States and define collaboration mechanisms beyond good will.”
Between the pending tasks of the INE and the state electoral institutes, strategies should be developed with work plans, budgets and measurable scope, Meza considered.
Other embassies outside the US where Mexicans will be able to vote are in Montreal, Madrid and Paris.
What is chosen on June 2 in Mexico
The June 2, 2024 elections are considered the largest in history, since there will be federal and state processes.
From the outset, you can vote for the Presidencyas well as the heads of the governments of Chiapas, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Morelos, Puebla, Tabasco, Veracruz, Yucatán and Mexico City.
There are also elections for the federal Congress and state congresses, in 31 of the 32 states.
Immigrants who wish to participate in this electoral process must renew their voter card as soon as possible, if it is about to expire.
Keep reading:
• Mexican migrants go to consulates to cast their vote in the elections in the State of Mexico and Coahuila
• Fuerza Migrante will observe the electoral day of the State of Mexico and Coahuila from consulates and municipalities
• Fuerza Migrante will monitor elections in Coahuila and the State of Mexico for immigrant voters in the United States