Francisco Guerrero, director of Mexico’s Federal Election Institute (IFE), has declared that although the process of voting among Mexicans living abroad has been successful, it does not meet the needs of this group because of its complexity and high costs.
Guerrero has issued a report highlighting the advantages of changing the way in which votes are recorded and promoting the use of electronic voting.
Here are six reasons why electronic voting could improve the voting system used by Mexicans living abroad.
Budget
The cost per vote of Mexicans living abroad is one of the most expensive in the world. Each vote cast abroad by Mexicans cost the state $5,500 pesos per person which corresponds to a total expense of 223,927,000 pesos. The cost of a regular vote stands at $100 pesos.
Improve participation
According to the Mexican Foreign Ministry, only 40,737 of the 11 million Mexicans living abroad actually voted.
Speed
Voting by mail requires Mexicans to submit their ballots up to two months in advance. There is always a risk that votes could get lost or fail to arrive in time.
Intricate procedures
According to many Mexican voters living abroad, the procedure for obtaining electoral material is very complicated. These voters do not always have time for appointments and some do not know exactly how to request the material.
Voting without knowing proposals
Because votes cast abroad need to be sent in so early, many voters do not have the chance to familiarize themselves with the platforms that the various candidates are running on. This is because the campaigns don’t usually heat up until closer to Election Day.
Lack of registration procedures
Mexicans embassies do not have the capability of issuing credentials to first-time voters. Registering to vote initially is something that must be done while in Mexico. As a result, thousands of Mexicans living abroad who have lost their documentation or left the country when they were very young are disenfranchised.