Political-electoral rights of Mexicans abroad, achievement of the migrant community

The participation of Mexican men and women abroad in one of Mexico's largest elections also represents significant achievements in the fight for their political-electoral rights.

In an interview for El Heraldo de México USA, Electoral Councilor at the National Electoral Institute (INE), Ms. Claudia Zavala Pérez, who is part of the Commission for the Vote of Mexicans Residing Abroad, cordially receives us in her office on a warm afternoon in early May, right in the eye of the storm, being the entity responsible for organizing the elections.

The 2024 electoral process will be the fourth in which Mexican residents abroad participate. Since the late 1990s, there were proposals for constitutional reforms to include this right; however, it was not until 1996 that it was achieved, and ten years later, in 2006, the first electoral process was carried out in which votes were received from abroad via postal mail and with various restrictions, making it a complex procedure.

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A pioneer of electronic voting, Ms. Claudia Zavala, since her time at the Electoral Institute of the then Federal District in 2012 and upon her arrival at INE, has promoted this method, which was later incorporated and implemented with good results. Providing certainty to the population and encouraging participation as it allows for a longer voting period.

For example, this year the system opens on May 18 at 8:00 p.m. and closes on June 2 at 6:00 p.m. Central Time. Additionally, this year, for the first time, citizens are offered the possibility of voting in person at 23 consulates, 20 of them in the United States, where they can vote even without prior registration, just by presenting their voter ID, with a maximum of 1,500 ballots available at each venue.

Therefore, a greater number of positions, more voting methods (postal, electronic, and in-person), and more information should lead to improved numbers, as this motivates participation, these are some of the forecasts of the Councilor, who emphasizes:

To achieve these advances, let's remember that in 2014, the General Law of Electoral Institutions and Procedures (LEGIPE) was approved, which provides for issuing voting credentials from abroad, in addition to other voting methods, including electronic and in-person, in addition to postal voting. In this process, the work of consular staff was fundamental in making procedures more agile by eliminating appointments, conducting campaigns, and promoting intensively.

"What does it mean to have your credential in hand? It means you have the key in your hands to exercise all your political-electoral rights," says Councilor Zavala.

Currently, there are more than 1.5 million people with valid credentials. At the time of this interview, 187,388 applications to vote in one of the modalities had been approved. Additionally, there were 39,724 applications awaiting review, which would increase the number of eligible voters to over 200,000 once incorporated through an addendum.

Councilor Zavala excitedly mentions that something very interesting happened in this electoral process, as groups of people organized and approached the INE to offer support in publicizing the credentialing service in public squares in some cities in the United States: "INE cannot be understood without this participation and closeness to citizens," expresses the Councilor, adding that these actions are evidence of progress in citizenship building.

To date, Mexicans abroad can vote for the presidency, senatorial positions, and governorships if recognized by local legislation (23 states), and in some entities, even the election of deputies (Mexico City, Jalisco, and Oaxaca) is allowed.

The community abroad wants to progress in this regard and is working to have the right to vote for municipal governments recognized, as this is the level closest to the population. Another challenge would be for the 9 states that still do not recognize the right to vote from abroad to incorporate it into their legislation, which requires close dialogue between diasporas, state authorities, and the INE.

Regarding the challenges faced by the INE to reach the new generations of Mexicans abroad, Councilor Zavala mentions that it is necessary to make known the Mexican democratic model, how the executive, legislative, and judicial systems work, and inform about how to reconcile having two or more citizenships, as each one grants different participation spaces.

In this sense, citizenship building also occurs through democratic processes, which, while imperfect, have led to a country with strong and reliable institutions. Beyond any political affiliation, the people have decided, and their opinions have been valued.

Check out the full interview with Councilor Claudia Zavala on the Heraldo USA YouTube channel as well as the report in the Heraldo USA supplement.

2024 Election Process in records:

- 1,529,733 people have processed voting credentials abroad (as of April 30).

- 187,388 people have approved registrations to vote from abroad (as of April 30).

- 82.6% of registrations made to vote from abroad were approved (as of April 30).

- 69.2% of registered voters from abroad live in the United States (as of February 25).

- 3 voting modalities for the first time in history (postal, electronic, and in-person).

- Voting modality breakdown for approved registrations: 64.68% electronic voting, 28.32% postal voting, and 6.84% in-person voting.

- 20 consulates in the United States will serve as voting reception modules.

- 1,500 spaces will be available per consulate for individuals who did not register to vote but have a voting credential.