Electoral reform in Mexico: a call for inclusive dialogue
The advisors of the National Electoral Institute (INE) have stressed the urgency of building an electoral reform based on consensus, not only between political parties, but with the active participation of citizens and the electoral institution. This approach seeks to take advantage of the technical experience accumulated by the organization to guarantee more robust democratic processes.
The presidential commission and the technical challenges
The federal government announced the creation of a commission for electoral reform, headed by Pablo Gómez, a figure with political experience but without recent experience in electoral matters. Counselor Carla Humphrey recognized the formation of this commission as positive, but insisted on the need to include the INE in the dialogue: “The latest reforms were made from a desk, without listening to the key actors”. He also criticized Gómez’s lack of technical specialization in issues such as oversight, citizen participation or electoral digital transformation.
For her part, Counselor Norma de la Cruz emphasized that the reform must reflect social demands: “Citizens must demand from legislators the reform we want, not the one they decide.” He raised the need to define whether the changes will be constitutional or legal, which will determine the scope of the modification to the political-electoral system.
Key themes and historical learnings
The Counselor Claudia Zavala highlighted critical aspects to consider:
- Plural representation: “Since the 1970s, Mexico adopted pluralism to allow minority parties to access power under principles of equity.”
- Electronic voting: Proposed its implementation to reduce costs in early voting and preventive detention.
- Judicial election: He warned about the complexity of coordinating this process with the 2027 midterm elections, given that they require different operating models.
Zavala recalled that every successful electoral reform in Mexico has been a product of dialogue, citing as an example the historical advances that allowed democratic transitions. “The rules of the game of power must be built with academia, civil society and authorities,” he stated.
What’s next? The counselors agreed that this process is an opportunity to strengthen democracy through innovative mechanisms such as binding citizen participation and digital transparency. However, they warned that ignoring the lessons of the past could lead to setbacks.
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