Vote Turnout Minimal in Mexico's Disputed Judicial Election
A historic vote to elect judges in Mexico was deemed a "success" by the president, despite a minimal voter turnout and widespread confusion.
On Sunday, only 13% of eligible voters exercised their right to vote in this landmark election to reform the court system. President Claudia Sheinbaum touted the election as a step towards making Mexico more democratic, but critics accused her of seeking to seize control of the judiciary, while analysts warned of doors opening for criminals to exert influence.
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The vote, an essential policy of Sheinbaum and her predecessor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, aimed to fill approximately 880 federal judicial positions, including Supreme Court justices, in addition to hundreds of local judges and magistrates.
Many voters conceded that they faced challenges in making informed decisions due to the overwhelming number of largely unknown candidates, who were barred from openly displaying their political affiliations or engaging in widespread campaigning.
Empty Polling Stations
John Holman of Al Jazeera reported from Mexico City, where most polling stations were abandoned. "What the government intended to be a historic day, the majority of Mexicans chose to engage in other activities," Holman said.
Despite the low turnout, Sheinbaum celebrated the election as a complete success, elevating Mexico as a democratic trendsetter. "Mexico continues to advance as a country, becoming increasingly free, fair, and democratic, because that is the will of the people," the president declared.
The reform, championed by supporters as necessary to rid the justice system of corruption, was initially advocated by Sheinbaum's predecessor, Lopez Obrador, who frequently clashed with the old judiciary.
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'Heart-wrenching' Process
Expert warnings about low turnout were justified, given the vast number of candidates and the novelty of judicial voting. According to David Shirk, a professor at the University of San Diego, informed voters would need to invest substantial time researching the track record and profiles of each candidate to make an informed choice.
The associated difficulty was echoed by voters themselves. "We are not well-prepared, and I think we could do with more information," shared Lucia Calderon, a 63-year-old university teacher. Francisco Torres de Leon, a 62-year-old retired teacher from southern Mexico, labeled the process painstaking because of the overwhelming number of candidates and positions that needed to be filled.
Beyond logistical challenges, experts and rights groups have expressed fears that powerful criminal groups could leverage the elections to further infiltrate the judiciary. While corruption exists, "there is reasonable suspicion that elections may be more easily infiltrated by organized crime than other methods of judicial selection," Margaret Satterthwaite, the United Nations special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, observed.
Although all candidates were expected to possess legal experience, a clean record, and a "reputable" background, several have been linked to organized crime and corruption scandals. Rights group Defensorxs flagged about 20 "high-risk" candidates, including Silvia Delgado, a former attorney for Sinaloa cartel cofounder Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. Another candidate, in Durango state, served nearly six years in a US prison for drug offenses.
Results are expected soon, with another round of judicial elections scheduled for 2027 to fill hundreds more positions.
In the midst of the election to reform Mexico's court system, concerns were raised about the potential influence of criminals, as some candidates linked to organized crime and corruption scandals were part of the vote. Despite the historic nature of the event, voter turnout was significantly low, with only 13% of eligible voters participating, leading to warnings about the electoral process being infiltrated by organized crime. The reform, a key policy for President Claudia Sheinbaum and her predecessor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, aimed to fill over 800 federal judicial positions, including Supreme Court justices, but the overwhelming number of candidates and lack of information contributed to voter confusion and apathy.
