EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Mexicans living abroad are voting in record numbers to elect a new president.
A total of 78,911 had cast votes through a secure website as of Wednesday and another 37,376 had sent their ballot via their country of residence’s postal service, according to Arturo Castillo, board member of the National Elections Institute (INE).
In comparison, 98,470 voted for president in 2018 from abroad and 40,714 cast ballots in 2012, INE data shows.
Castillo told Mexican media this is the first time INE allows Mexicans abroad to cast electronic ballots, which is contributing to increased participation, especially in the last week. Online voting continues through June 2.
In addition to the web-based and mail-in ballots, Mexicans living in Paris, Madrid and Montreal, as well as in 20 U.S. cities including Houston and Dallas will be able to vote in person at Mexican consulates on Sunday. The addresses can be found here.
The June 2 federal election is likely to produce Mexico’s first female president, political observers tell Border Report. Claudia Sheinbaum and Xochitl Galvez are the candidates of a pair of three-party coalitions. A third presidential candidate, Jorge Alvarez Maynez, was polling only around 11 percent, according to a survey last week.
The winner will replace President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Oct. 1.
Political campaigns marred by violence
This election cycle in Mexico has been among the most violent. The Mexico City-based nonprofit Data Civica documented the murder of 26 candidates for public office in Mexico from Jan. 1 to May 28. A day later, an opposition mayoral candidate was killed at a campaign rally in Coyuca, Guerrero.
In a report titled, “Voting Amid Bullets,” the group attributed the violence to organized crime trying to exert political control in local governments in certain areas through intimidation.
INE board member Claudia Humphreys said this week that 521 candidates for public office in Mexico had solicited police protection. “I regret the conditions of violence that the country is experiencing in some states and municipalities and districts. It is clear that this institute has taken action” in those cases, she said at an INE board meeting this month.
In Juarez, police will be out in force on the streets on Sunday and alcohol sales will be suspended that day.
“We have a joint operation with local authorities and the National Guard to guarantee this electoral process is a peaceful one,” said Chihuahua Public Safety Director Gilberto Loya. “We will have 1,800 state police officers on the streets, plus municipal and federal (officers) throughout the state.”
Loya said all available state security cameras would be monitored on Sunday and police would surround buildings where votes are to be counted.
The state police chief said he’s confident there will be no election-related violence in Juarez or in Chihuahua. In other states, organized criminal groups have made threats, carried out attacks or prevented election-related materials from being distributed or precincts from being set up.
Chihuahua has seen no such “red flags,” Loya said.
