Mexico's Judicial Election: A Costly Flop with Record Low Turnout

Mexico's Judicial Election: A Record Low Turnout and a Costly Result Mexico's recent judicial election saw a shockingly low voter turnout, with only 13 million citizens casting ballots out of a registered electorate exceeding 100 million. This represents a participation rate of just 13%, the lowest in at least three decades. The election, which cost 7 billion pesos, resulted in each vote costing approximately 538 pesos, making it one of the most expensive elections globally. "In terms of attendance, this electoral farce was a shipwreck," stated a news anchor from Azteca Noticias. "Only 13 million people participated out of a registry of more than 100 million, meaning 87 million turned their backs on the election." The low turnout is particularly striking when compared to previous presidential elections, which have historically seen participation rates between 60% and 70%. Guadalupe Taddei, president of the National Electoral Institute (INE), confirmed the low participation rate, stating that preliminary results showed a citizen participation rate of between 12.57% and 13.32%. The INE invested 7 billion pesos in organizing the election, a figure that underscores the significant cost inefficiency of such low participation. The low turnout raises questions about citizen engagement in the judicial process and the effectiveness of electoral spending. The high cost per vote highlights the need for future electoral reforms to improve efficiency and encourage greater participation.