The Electoral Observation Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS/EOM), led by former Chilean Foreign Minister Heraldo Muñoz Valenzuela, thanks the Government of Mexico for the invitation to observe the Extraordinary Election for the Federal Judiciary held on Sunday, June 1. The Mission observed that the voting process was calm, and it recognizes the efforts of polling station members and electoral officials, who participated in a particularly complex election. According to the available data at the time this statement was published, voter turnout in these elections was approximately 12%-one of the lowest for an electoral process in the region. Additionally, a high percentage of null and blank votes was recorded.
This process is a result of the constitutional reform approved in September 2024, which introduced popular voting as a mechanism for selecting judges, magistrates, and ministers across the entire country. There is no precedent in the world where all the judges of a country are elected by popular vote.
Last Sunday, Mexicans had the opportunity to vote for: nine ministers of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN), two magistrates of the Superior Chamber of the Federal Electoral Court (TEPJF), 15 magistrates of the TEPJF Regional Chambers, five members of the newly created Judicial Discipline Tribunal (TDJ), 464 circuit magistrates, and 386 district judges. Additionally, local elections for the Judiciary were held in 19 states across the country. In the states of Durango and Veracruz, ordinary elections were held for municipal governments.
The OAS/EOM, composed of 16 experts from 10 countries, analyzed various aspects of the election, such as electoral organization, electoral technology, the process of evaluating and selecting judicial candidates, electoral justice, and the participation of women. These issues will be addressed in detail in the Mission's preliminary report.
Since its arrival in the country on May 24, the Mission met with members of the Supreme Court of Justice, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, the Councilors of the National Electoral Institute (INE), the president of the Superior Chamber of the TEPJF, the president of the Senate, the Secretary of the Interior, the various candidate evaluation committees, the Attorney General's Office, candidates for different branches of the Federal Judiciary, representatives of civil society organizations who asked to share their perspectives on the elections and the changes to the judicial selection model.
In general terms, most agreed that it was indeed necessary to reform the Judiciary to make it more transparent, efficient, and timely. However, opinions are radically divided on whether this judicial reform is the right way to achieve these goals. The Mission's preliminary report, which will be published in the coming days, will include the different positions. It will also address situations faced in the pre-election stages, such as approval of the reform, the actions of the evaluation committees, and the absence of specific and uniform provisions in the current legal framework to regulate the candidate evaluation process. The Mission observed that the entire process took place within a short timeframe, in a complex context marked by political polarization and high levels of litigation.
The Mission remains on the ground and will continue to follow up on the progress of the vote counting at the District Councils. On Friday, it will present a preliminary report that includes its most relevant findings and recommendations based on information gathered through its review of legislation, direct observation, and dialogue with national actors. Among other topics, the report will analyze the legal framework, candidate selection processes, communication and campaign models, women's participation, electoral organization and electoral technology.
The OAS/EOM's deployment was made possible thanks to the financial contributions of Canada, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, France, the Netherlands, Panama, South Korea, and the United States.
The Mission thanks the authorities and officials of the National Electoral Institute, the Federal Electoral Court, the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, and the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Electoral Crimes for their openness and cooperation, which allowed the Mission to do its work. It also extends its thanks to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection, and other institutions and bodies of the Mexican state for their openness and kind facilitation of this Mission's activities.
Finally, the Mission thanks the candidates, academics, and representatives from international organizations and civil society for their inputs. This is the first election for judicial branch officials observed by the OAS, and the eighth election the organization has observed in Mexico.
Reference: E-031/25
