This Sunday, June 2, the presidential elections will be held in Mexico, where some 100 million voters are eligible to vote, in elections classified as “historic,” since forecasts indicate that the Aztec country will have a woman as President for the first time. The big mark of the day has been the murder of more than twenty local candidates.
And Claudia Sheinbaum, a co-partisan of the current president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who competes with the support of the “Let’s keep making history” coalition, appears as the top favorite to win, with more than 50% support in voting intentions, according to different polls, while Jorge Alvarez Máynez, from the “Citizen Movement”, appears very far away, and with minimal options, with little support of less than 10%.
And in the Big Apple, where it is estimated that more than 300,000 Mexicans live, election day also resonates strongly among immigrants from the Aztec nation, who confess to being aware of the details of the elections, although the vast majority will not exercise their right. to vote: some due to apathy towards political issues and others because they did not register on time, or do not have the electoral credentials required to vote.
This is what Isidro Maceda, originally from Veracruz, confesses, who declared himself disappointed with the work that López Obrador has done for almost six years, but even more disappointed by the bureaucracy that he said is handled in the National Electoral Institute (INE) and in the Mexican consulates to obtain the document to vote.
“I really feel double disappointment, first because AMLO has not done great things so far; He says that he did things, but they are not visible, and also because the Consulate and the electoral organizations do not make things easier for us to vote, because I would like to participate, but I do not have the credential and when one wants to process it, they give you a lot of ‘buts’ ‘” said the Mexican. “For a piece of paper that is a little torn, they make you send for more papers and go around more. For that reason, and for us to have a better country, then I think we have to turn around and vote for a change. Let’s see if things here also improve to help those of us who live far away.”
José Hernández, who came to the Big Apple from his native Puebla, shares a similar feeling, and assures that the electoral authorities should promote more actions that help residents abroad to have their electoral credentials, so that they are not left out. of the elections.
“We Mexicans who live in cities like New York send a lot of money to our country, in remittances, but when we want to process documents here, they don’t make it easy for us. That should change, because they must give us our value,” commented the worker, who, despite the fact that he will not be able to vote, expressed his support for López Obrador’s political project. “The majority of countrymen I know here cannot vote, because they do not have a voter ID card, and that does not seem fair to me. But I still hope that those who can vote do so and give their support to what AMLO started.”
Brenda Martínez, who assures that she has already fulfilled her commitment to the elections, after casting her vote by mail, and who is one of the more than 464,480 Mexicans who are estimated to live in all corners of the state of New York, criticized those who complain due to the lack of access to voting day and said that many citizens of his country lack greater political education and “democratic action.”
Xóchitl Campos, who will vote on Sunday, showed his support for Claudia Sheinbaum. Photo Edwin Martínez.
“Since Mexicans who live outside of Mexico gained the right to vote and elect, not only the President but also officials of other positions, I don’t feel that the majority has had a chance to understand the value that that means. I hear many who complain about what is happening in the country and others who say that it has been difficult for them to get their voter ID card, when it is a process that everyone should do in order to participate. “They are pure complaints,” commented the mother of the family, who incidentally called on the political candidates and appreciated that a woman could reach the highest head of government.
“I think that regardless of whether you vote for Sheinbaum or for Xochitl, and whoever wins, in these elections we should feel proud as Mexicans to know that we are going to bring a woman to power. That is a blow to machismo, but I also believe that from above, whoever wins, they should take more care of those of us who live outside and promote better education on political issues,” said Lavotante, originally from Michoacán.
And regarding Sunday’s elections, in which in addition to the President, Mexicans will elect 20,375 positions, 19,746 local and 629 federal, Xóchitl Campos, who sells typical products from his country in front of the Mexican Consulate on 39th Street in Manhattan, asked to whoever wins the highest leadership of government, to promote programs that improve the quality of life in the Aztec nation so that many are not forced to leave.
“I see that Mexico needs a lot of security, trust in the people and improvements in jobs, salaries and conditions. It hurts to see people suffering because of people who lose their lives out of nowhere and to see that every day more people are separated from their families. “They should think more about us from above,” said the voter, originally from Morelos, who supports AMLO and Sheinbaum.
“The majority of us who are here came out of necessity, and that is why I ask the next president of Mexico, who I hope will be Claudia Sheinbaum, to listen to us and promote jobs, well-paid jobs and to continue focusing on the needs of the “who are lower down, like AMLO did with the elderly, who had been ignored for a long time,” the voter warned, highlighting as positive that a woman can come to power. “It is a big thing that we are going to have a first female president. And I hope that Claudia has learned the steps of AMLO, who was always my rooster, to continue fighting and be able to move Mexico forward, because for that, as we Mexicans say, you need eggs or in this case ovaries to be at the forefront.”
The Mexican Consulate in New York assured that they cannot comment on the elections, as required by law, but a source from that office explained that in the current elections, voters could vote through postal, electronic and in-person voting. .
Voters registered to vote in person or those who were not able to register but who have their voter ID card in order, can go to vote at the Consulate General of Mexico in New York, located at 27 East 39th Street. However, for those who did not register, the INE warns that only a total of 1,500 electoral ballots will be enabled.
According to data from the electoral body, in the 2006 presidential elections a total of 32,621 Mexicans abroad participated, while in the 2012 elections 40,714 did the same, and the last ones in 2018, which had the highest participation, 98,470, which which shows that with more than 12 million living outside the country, the vast majority, as is also the case in New York, does not exercise their right to vote.
Experts hope that in Sunday’s elections electoral participation will increase a little, on a day in which both Claudia Sheinbaum and Senator Xóchitl Gálvez have assured that they will make history, because a woman will govern the destinies of Mexico.
“We are going to win, we are going to win. This June 2, once again, we are going to make history,” said AMLO’s co-partisan, a member of MORENA, while her main contender said she was ready for “a historic moment.”
Facts to take into account about the elections
- June 2 will be the presidential elections in Mexico
- 97% of Mexicans who can vote abroad live in the United States
- An estimated 300,000 Mexicans and more live in the Big Apple
- The vast majority will not vote
- All Mexicans over 18 years of age who reside outside the country can vote, as long as they have a valid Voting Card.
- 1,500 voting ballots will be available at the Mexican Consulate in NY if you have not registered to vote and have your voter ID card.
- 10:00 am Election day will begin in person at the Consulate in Manhattan until 8:00 pm
- You can check if the credential is current on the Listanominal.ine.mx site by entering its details.
- Mexicans for these elections were able to vote by postal mail, electronically over the Internet and in-person voting.
- 23 consular offices in four countries will install Voting Reception Modules, including New York
- The Consulate of Mexico is located at 27 East 39 St. 10016
- If you have problems voting electronically, you can call toll-free from the United States at 1-866-986-8306
- You can also write an email to voteextranjero@ine.mx.
- Visit www.votoextranjero.mx/web/vmre/inicio for more details.