The INE against dirty tricks: accordions, carries and the free vote in danger
Guadalupe Taddei, the president advisor of the INE, is more tired than a millennial on Monday morning after seeing how political parties and certain authorities play dirty in the middle of the electoral process. His message is clear: no more “accordions” (those guides that tell you how to vote as if you were a child on a surprise exam) and no more mobilizing citizens like cattle to the polls. What’s next? That they take you in a truck with banda music and promises of tamales?
Voting is not a board game (although some treat it like Monopoly)
Taddei, with the patience of someone explaining for the umpteenth time that WiFi is not free in a cafe, clarified that the INE cannot prohibit you from bringing your phone or a sheet of memes to the electoral screen. But be careful: the Constitution does prohibit anyone from telling you who to vote for, whether it’s a party, your boss, or your aunt, the political fanatic. And although it may sound obvious, it seems that some people need it repeated in PowerPoint.
The most ironic thing is that, in this process, the parties should not even be participating. But there they are, like those friends who arrive uninvited to the party and steal the beer on top of it. The INE is now evaluating whether to sanction the government of Nuevo León and Citizen Movement for distributing “accordions” and ordering bureaucrats to take 10 people each to vote (yes, as if they were discount coupons).
“It can’t be that they are trying to manipulate the vote as if it were a viral TikTok,” said Taddei, with the frustration of someone who sees how their favorite series is ruined in the second season. And he finished with an epic call: “Don’t let those papers enter your homes, don’t be influenced.” Basically, the electoral equivalent of “don’t accept candy from strangers.”
And the participation? Worse than the rating of a soap opera at 3 AM
To make matters worse, the INE projects a participation of only 10%, because, guess what: it is the first time that the Judiciary has been elected and people are more lost than influencers without filters. Compared to presidential elections or even the revocation of mandate (which was already a failure in ratings), this promises to be an event as popular as a reggaeton concert… in the library.
But some parties, like Morena, dream of bringing participation to 18-20%, using strategies worthy of a reality show: governors, mayors and even bureaucrats mobilizing voters. The prize? Maintain control. The cost? Democracy itself. Taddei warned: no one can “carry” voters as if they were merchandise. Unless, of course, they want a more painful INE fine than paying for Netflix and not using it.
“The vote is free, secret and non-transferable,” Taddei stressed, as if reminding us that it is not an NFT or a discount code. And he closed with a message for citizens: don’t let yourself be pressured by those who want you not to vote. Because in the end, the only valid “accordion” is your decision.
Are you outraged by electoral manipulation? Share this and demand a clean vote. And if you want more tips on how to vote without pressure, visit the INE portal.
