Mexico held its first-ever judicial elections on Sunday, allowing voters to directly elect judges and magistrates, including all nine Supreme Court justices. However, with turnout estimated at just around 13%, analysts say the historic vote could be undermined by low public participation and ongoing concerns over candidate qualifications.
President Claudia Sheinbaum hailed the vote as a “complete success,” saying the peaceful process and low-cost campaign. She estimated that about 13 million of the roughly 100 million eligible voters cast their ballots. The country’s electoral authority, INE, projected turnout between 12.57% and 13.32% based on national sampling. Final results are expected by June 15.
Still, many political observers remain skeptical. Voting in Mexico is not mandatory, and no minimum turnout is required to legitimize an election. But analysts say the poor turnout, amid boycott calls by the opposition, casts doubt on the legitimacy of a process meant to overhaul the country’s judicial system.
The judicial election reform was championed by Sheinbaum’s predecessor, former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, as a way to democratize the justice system and fight corruption. However, critics warn it could erode the separation of powers, allowing political or criminal influences to infiltrate the judiciary.