Mexicans to Elect Judicial Officials on Sunday
A citizen displays a pamphlet explaining the Mexican judicial election. X/ @AP_Noticias
May 29, 2025 Hour: 11:28 am
The campaign period for judicial candidates began on March 30 and concluded on May 28.
On Sunday, June 1, nearly 98 million Mexicans are eligible to vote for more than 2,000 judges and judicial officials. To facilitate the process, the National Electoral Institute (INE) will install approximately 84,000 polling stations across the country.
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Among the positions up for election are: nine justices of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN); two seats on the Superior Chamber of the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary (TEPJF); 15 seats on the TEPJF Regional Chambers; five members of the Judicial Disciplinary Tribunal (TDJ); 464 circuit magistrate positions; 386 district judges; and 1,800 positions within local judicial branches.
The campaign period for judicial candidates began on March 30 and concluded on May 28. During this time, 7,773 candidates promoted their campaigns through forums, interviews and social media.
Sunday’s election follows a judicial reform proposal drafted by former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador during his term (2018–2024). The proposal has been endorsed by current President Claudia Sheinbaum, who stated that under this new mechanism, “Mexico will be the most democratic country in the world,” because its citizens will elect all three branches of government.
How Has Mexico’s Judicial System Performed So Far?
To date, Mexico’s judicial system has yielded poor results. In 2023, for example, 93.63% of criminal case files remained unresolved and impunity persisted.
Of the cases that did result in a conviction, the proportion did not surpass a single-digit percentage and included crimes such as femicides, intentional homicides and forced disappearances. It was also reported that state prosecutors resolved only 7% of the cases they received in 2023.
In Mexico — a country plagued by insecurity and violence for decades — the call for voters to reshape the judiciary also aims to transform public perception of the justice system. Currently, 67.3% of the population believes that members of the judiciary are corrupt.
Until September 2024, the selection of judges in Mexico was based on a merit-based system, with candidates for federal judgeships and magistrate positions required to participate in competitive examinations organized by the Federal Judiciary Council (CJF).
What Does the Judicial Reform Aim to Achieve Through the New Elections?
The reform seeks to increase transparency in the selection of magistrates and promote broader public understanding of judicial functions.
“Will it benefit Mexico? Yes, because we have a judiciary with a lot of corruption. We want to strengthen the judiciary. Anyone who says we want to weaken it is lying,” President Sheinbaum said, emphasizing that no judiciary is stronger than one whose members are elected by the people.
Globally, the only precedent for this type of election is in Bolivia, where the population has elected its magistrates by popular vote since 2011.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE – teleSUR