Nearly 98 Million Mexicans to Vote Sunday in Historic Judicial Elections
A Mexican citizen looks at the names of the candidates for judicial positions, May 2025. X/ @ExitoNoticias
May 30, 2025 Hour: 12:12 pm
The campaign period for judicial candidates began March 30 and concluded May 28.
On Sunday, nearly 98 million Mexicans will head to the polls to elect 881 judges and 1,800 positions within local judicial branches.
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The campaign period for judicial candidates began March 30 and concluded May 28. During this time, 3,422 candidates promoted their campaigns through forums, interviews and social media.
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, and 386 district judges.
Faster Voting Process Expected
Polling stations will open at 8 a.m. nationwide to allow citizens to vote. To facilitate the process, the National Electoral Institute (INE) will install approximately 84,000 polling stations across the country.
This time, authorities have implemented improvements to make the process quicker and easier: each person will only pass through the voting table once, where they will receive their federal and local ballots, have their voter ID marked, ink applied to a finger, and then cast their vote in privacy behind a screen.
All ballots will be deposited into a single ballot box, regardless of whether they are federal or local votes. In areas where high turnout is expected, two ballot boxes will be used to speed up the process.
The text reads, “Sheinbaum speaking on a possible boycott of the Judiciary elections by the National Coordinator of Education Workers: ‘They would be acting against the freedom of the Mexican people.'”
Polling Data to Estimate Voter Turnout
As soon as the election concludes on Sunday, the INE will release an estimate of voter turnout, based on a sample of more than 1,600 polling stations distributed across the country.
This estimate will rely on statistical tools and will be prepared by specialists, providing a clear, reliable and quick picture of the public’s engagement with this historic process.
This election will be particularly significant for the public, as for the first time, citizens will vote directly for those who make up the judiciary, including judges, magistrates and Supreme Court justices.
This represents a major step forward in popular participation and democratic oversight, empowering the people to decide on a branch of government that was previously appointed without their input.
Additionally, the INE is facilitating the entire process — from reprinting voter ID cards to ensuring transparency in the results — to guarantee that every individual can exercise their right to vote freely and clearly.
Vote Counting Calendar
Between June 1 and June 10, electoral authorities will count votes for six separate elections across Mexico. Each type of position will have a designated counting period:
June 1–3: votes for Supreme Court justices
June 3–4: votes for Judicial Disciplinary Tribunal magistrates
June 4–5: votes for the Superior Chamber of the Electoral Tribunal
June 5–6: votes for the Regional Chambers
June 6–8: votes for circuit magistrates
June 7–10: votes for district judges
Starting June 12, authorities will conduct a final review to confirm the results of the elections mentioned above and will also validate the district-level results for the Electoral Tribunal’s Regional Chambers.
Establishing a New Judicial System
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 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.
With these judicial elections, the Mexican people are achieving a historic victory. For the first time, citizens will have the power to directly elect those who administer justice. This democratic advancement marks a strong step toward reclaiming a judiciary that, for decades, was dominated by the interests of economic and political elites. The ability to choose their judges not only strengthens popular sovereignty but also opens the door to a more transparent, legitimate and efficient judicial system.
“On Sunday, I am certain that the Mexican people’s participation in the judicial elections will be very significant and that the election will be peaceful,” Sheinbaum said during her Friday morning press conference, urging people to participate in this historic election.
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: teleSUR – EFE
