Citizen Observers to "Protect" Migrant Community Votes in the U.S

The bipartisan binational movement, Fuerza Migrante, will have representatives in the main consulates where in-person voting will occur. They urge people to vote and highlight the power of mexican suffrage

With a call for Mexicans living in the United States to go to the polls, the Fuerza Migrante coalition aims to send a significant message to electoral authorities and political parties: the community residing in the neighboring country wants and needs to be considered in Mexico's political and electoral life.

"We want to use up the 1,500 ballots per consulate, send the message that we do count and that we need to facilitate the process to increase voting opportunities and reduce the gap between the 1.6 million credentials issued in the U.S. and the 203,000 registered to vote, and the even larger gap between those who vote and the 20 million potential voters in this country," said Avelino Meza, Secretary General of Fuerza Migrante.

Jonathan Bárcena Pérez, President of the Migrant Affairs Commission of the organization, emphasized, "Casting your vote is your way of ensuring that everything you are doing abroad for your country, the money you are sending, the family you are leaving behind, is worth it... When you cast your vote, you know you have the ability to change the conditions that made you leave Mexico. That's why voting is important for Mexicans abroad."

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"If all Mexicans abroad could vote, if all were registered, they could change the outcome of an election. Knowing this, parties and their candidates would be forced to propose initiatives that truly represent us as migrants. Empowering us as a society will make things change. This is progressive," he stressed.

"Fuerza Migrante Will Protect Your Vote"

With a group of 35 people registered with the National Electoral Institute (INE, in Spanish) as citizen observers, the bipartisan binational movement, Fuerza Migrante, will be present during the electoral process on June 2.

The observers will be deployed to several main consulates where in-person voting will take place and at some locations in Mexico where postal and digital votes will be processed, according to Avelino Meza, the coalition's Secretary General.

In an interview with El Heraldo de México USA, he specified that the consulates where observers will ensure the process follows the rules and that votes are received include Santa Ana, San Diego, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, New Jersey, New York, Chicago, and Washington.

This, he said, is a learning process for the community to professionally and institutionally explore how to trigger and expand their participation in political and electoral processes.

Meza outlined three objectives for this exercise: First, to be alert to any incidents that might cast doubt on the handling of votes; second, to conduct exit polls to diagnose how effective the voting mechanisms were, how easy or complex the registration process was, and to identify factors that could drive family participation; and third, to make recommendations for improvements to encourage more people to vote each time and to highlight the community's power.

Bárcena Pérez noted that in previous experiences, some people were not allowed to vote. For June 2, they are concerned about some recent INE decisions that have not been clearly communicated, such as allowing voting without prior registration.

"Until about a month ago, it was stated that those with a credential issued with a Mexican address had to register to vote at consulates; they changed this, so now everyone with a valid credential can vote at a consulate polling station. Although this facilitates the process and supports everyone's right to vote, it is also our duty to ensure this doesn't lead to other issues. Our role as observers is to ensure that the person arriving without prior registration matches the credential. We can approach the table to verify that the credential corresponds to the person," he said.

"Citizen observers play a crucial role. Our job is to ensure the exercise of democracy is solid because, unlike party representatives, we have a non-partisan vision focused on democracy."

Gilda Ontiveros, who will observe the process in New York, mentioned that both this consulate and those in Chicago and Los Angeles expect the highest turnout of unregistered voters.

She explained that they were trained by the INE through an eight-module course that explained every step of the election and what is allowed and not allowed as an electoral observer.

They must also prepare a report on the election day to identify any incidents and areas for improvement in the process to facilitate and guarantee the vote of Mexicans abroad.

Ontiveros emphasized that Fuerza Migrante will be present throughout the process, from the opening of polling stations to the opening of electoral packages. "We will be involved in practically the entire process." She reminded that each consulate has 1,500 ballots and reiterated the invitation for compatriots to vote.