This Sunday, the voting centers for Mexico’s general elections opened their doors at 8:00 a.m. local time (2:00 p.m. GMT), with thousands of citizens lining up early to exercise their right to vote, including President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Voters go to 170,000 voting centers installed by the National Electoral Institute (INE), supported by nearly 1.5 million citizen-officials prepared for the occasion. The polls will remain open until 18:00 local time (00:00 GMT on Monday), with some time variations. Quintana Roo, in the Caribbean, is one hour ahead of the rest of the country, while Baja California, Baja California Sur, Nayarit, Sinaloa and Sonora are one hour behind.
These elections are the largest in the history of Mexico, with 98 million people summoned to renew more than 20,000 positions, including the Presidency, the 500 deputies, the 128 senators and 9 state governments.
Claudia Sheinbaum, the Favorite for the Presidency
The main race will define who will succeed President López Obrador, who cannot be re-elected. The official candidate, Claudia Sheinbaum, leads the polls, surpassing the opponents Xóchitl Gálvez, from Fuerza y Corazón por México, and Jorge Álvarez Máynez, from Movimiento Ciudadano (MC).
Elections Marked by Violence
The elections have been marked by violence. The Government has acknowledged 22 murdered candidates, although independent groups, such as the consulting firm Integralia, report close to 250 political homicides, including advisors, officials, family members and collateral victims.
The INE reported on Saturday that it will not install 222 voting centers due to insecurity problems or social conflicts, affecting more than 120,000 voters, particularly in the states of Chiapas (108 centers) and Michoacán (84).
Security Operation
To guarantee the security of the elections, the Armed Forces will deploy 27,245 additional members, adding to the 233,543 who already carry out public security tasks.
Election Results
The INE will begin publishing the Preliminary Electoral Results Program (PREP) starting at 8:00 p.m. local time (02:00 GMT on Monday). Between 22:00 and 23:00 (04:00 and 05:00 GMT on Monday), the quick count will be announced, which could define the winning candidate.
Today’s elections are a crucial moment for Mexican democracy, with hopes for a transparent and secure process despite the challenges.
