Mexico: Judicial elections troubled by low turnout and corruption concerns

With a very low turnout, Mexicans elected all their judges on Sunday in a unique election that has raised doubts about the judiciary’s independence amid concerns over political parties and organized crime.

For Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the electoral process was a success despite a low turnout, with only 12.5% to 13.3% of the roughly 100 million registered voters casting ballots, according to the National Electoral Institute (INE).

This turnout is almost one-fifth of the number of voters who participated in the presidential election a year ago, when Claudia Sheinbaum won.

The election did not require a minimum voter turnout for validation.

The elections are a key part of a constitutional reform pushed by the ruling party amid an ongoing struggle with the Supreme Court, which blocked several initiatives from former popular president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018–2024).

Along with low turnout, the vote was marked by confusion.

"You don't know the candidates, except those who made videos on TikTok," Leslie Moreno, a 30-year-old lawyer, told AFP after voting. She was referring to one of the few ways some candidates promoted themselves amid strict advertising restrictions.

Opposing views

For socialist Sheinbaum, the vote was a way to put an end—at least in her view—to the entrenched corruption and impunity within the judicial system.

The elections also raised concerns among opponents and experts about the judiciary’s independence and whether they might make it easier for criminals to sway courts through threats or bribes.

Hundreds of Mexicans marched along the central Paseo de la Reforma, denouncing the election as a government "farce" aimed at controlling the judiciary.

“It sends the Judicial Power "to the grave." It was the last check we had against the totalitarianism of the Executive Branch,” said Ismael Novela, a 58-year-old employee.

The ruling coalition controls the legislature and holds the majority of governorships.

Was the election taken over by the cartels?

Experts warn that popular elections are easier for drug cartels to infiltrate compared to other systems, such as merit-based judicial career paths.

“It also carries the risk that voters won’t choose candidates based on merit,” Margaret Satterthwaite, UN special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, told AFP.

Controversial candidates

The NGO Defensorxs identified nearly 20 “risky” candidates, including Silvia Delgado, a former lawyer for Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel and sentenced to life imprisonment in the United States.

Fernando Escamilla, a candidate for state judge in Nuevo León (northeast), was previously a lawyer for Miguel Ángel Treviño, former leader of Los Zetas, a now-defunct cartel notorious for its brutality.

Leopoldo Chavez, another candidate from the northern state of Durango, served nearly six years in a U.S. prison for methamphetamine trafficking.

Among the requirements to apply, candidates needed to have a law degree, relevant experience, a “good reputation,” and no criminal record.