Electoral challenges on several levels
The high degree of coordination obtained by the INE and the OPL in the last decade within the national electoral system of Mexico will be essential to manage the complexities of this electoral process on several levels.
Federal law obliges local legislatures to determine the regulations within 180 days, including decisions concerning the keeping of legal elections at the level of the State in 2025. If the legislatures do not respect this deadline, the electoral process is impracticable . The INE has established previous deadlines, requiring finalized reforms and defined judicial positions by January 15, 2025. This calendar remains atypical for an election, in particular for such a complex election. In addition, not only the socio-political differences between states produced various electoral frameworks, but as little as 18 out of 32 entities have fully completed their reform processes.
The inclusion of state judicial elections aggravates the election scale at the federal level. For example, the state of Mexico will have 91 judicial posts on the ballot, with up to 769 candidates in competition.
In addition, the judicial districts, defined by the judiciary, are based on workplaces and administrative complexity rather than on the size of the population. For the next elections, the INE has redesigned these districts to maximize participation and reduce fragmentation. A key challenge is the concentration of multiple federal courts specialized in Mexico City, leading to an unequal distribution of legal issues across the country. This disalemination between judicial and electoral geography poses logistical and administrative challenges to which the authorities must take up. For example, significant adjustments to ensure the custody and counting of the ballots will be necessary.
Although organizational problems are complex, they are overcome given the robust and professional electoral institutions in Mexico. While some consider this reform as a characteristic to deepen democracy, the most important challenge is always political. Public skepticism concerning the elections and the legitimacy of candidates persists, and one of the greatest challenges with which the electoral authorities are confronted is to fight against the apathy of voters.
Transparent communication at each step will ensure that the process will become a dialogue and civic engagement platform. The electoral authorities will face many challenges; However, the Mexican national electoral system has proven to be robust, professional and effective, and this electoral process will be the exception.
