Election in Mexico
Published 2024-06-03
General elections were held in Mexico on 2 June 2024. Voters elected a new president to serve a six-year term, all 500 members of the Chamber of Deputies, and all 128 members of the Senate of the Republic. The members of the legislature elected on this date were the first allowed to run for re-election in subsequent elections. These elections took place concurrently with the 2024 state elections.
Claudia Sheinbaum was widely regarded by her party as the top contender to succeed president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, ultimately securing the nomination of the ruling coalition, Sigamos Haciendo Historia. Xóchitl Gálvez emerged as the frontrunner of Fuerza y Corazón por México following a surge in popularity due to criticisms from López Obrador. Citizens' Movement, the only national party without a coalition, nominated Jorge Máynez. This was the first general election in Mexico's history in which the main contenders for the country's presidency were women.
Preliminary results from the National Electoral Institute (INE) positioned Sheinbaum as the winner of the presidential election, becoming both the first female and first Jewish President of Mexico.
The president is elected by plurality voting in a single round; there is no provision for a second run-off round. Article 83 of the Mexican Constitution prohibits presidents from pursuing re-election for another term (sexenio): presidents in Mexico are limited to one term. The new president will be sworn in on 1 October.
The 500 members of the Chamber of Deputies are elected in two ways: 300 are elected in single-member constituencies by plurality vote, and the remaining 200 are elected by proportional representation in five multi-member districts, with seats divided according to Hamilton's method. No party is permitted to hold more than 300 seats.
The 128 members of the Senate are also elected in two ways: 96 in 32 three-seat constituencies corresponding to the nation's states, and the remaining 32 in a single national constituency using proportional representation. In the three-seat constituencies, two seats are assigned to the party with the highest number of votes, and one seat to the party with the second-highest number of votes.
The National Electoral Institute (INE) is the organization responsible for federal elections in Mexico. Its responsibilities include preparing for election day, printing documents and producing electoral materials, conducting the vote count, and declaring the validity of the election.