The vote will elect 2,600 judges and magistrates, including all Supreme Court justices, and is part of a reform pushed by former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and his protege and successor President Claudia Sheinbaum.
But the run-up to the vote has been dominated by a scandal over some of the candidates, including a convicted drug smuggler and a former lawyer of drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
Mexico joins Bolivia as the only countries worldwide to conduct judicial elections at the national level, though state-level judicial elections are common in the United States and some local Swiss judges are also elected.
Pollsters expect a poor turnout, in part due to opposition calls to boycott the vote, but also because of the complexity of the process and vast number of candidates to consider.
Voting is not mandatory in Mexico and there is no minimum turnout required to legitimize an election.
CONCERNS AND BOYCOTTS
“We call on you to participate, participate, participate,“ Sheinbaum told a press conference on Friday, saying this would help significantly improve the current judiciary. “Participating is the best way to transform a country.”
The reform’s approval by lawmakers last year knocked financial markets, sparked the United States to express concern about a weaker judicial system, and sparked a strike by the country’s judicial workers.
Ramos said “the real litmus test” would come when cases against a government action reach the Supreme Court.
In 2027, another vote is scheduled to fill over 1,000 more judicial positions.
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