INE Will Not Install 104 Voting Stations Due to Security Concerns

INE has announced that it will not set up 104 voting stations in Michoacan, Oaxaca, Nuevo Leon, Colima, and Mexico City and that another 820 stations are at risk due to security concerns and political conflicts within indigenous communities. "We are working to install 100% of the voting stations. However, we have already been informed that some will not be possible. We will know the final setup results on Sunday," an INE spokesperson stated.

The absence of these stations is expected to affect more than 60,645 people, of which 54,195 are from Michoacan, distributed in 10 municipalities, including Charapan, Cheran, Chilchota, Nahuatzen, Paracho, Quiroga, and Aquila. INE specified that those affected will have to go to nearby places or special stations to vote.

INE explained that in Nayarit, voting station No. 350 will not be installed due to security issues. In Nuevo Leon, three stations will not be installed, one due to insecurity and two because no one agreed to serve as a voting official. In Oaxaca, five stations will not be installed due to political issues in San Mateo del Mar and Santo Domingo Platanillo. In Sinaloa, one voting place will not be installed for security reasons, and in Tlaxcala, two will be excluded for the same concern. Additionally, in Mexico City, one voting place has been affected as SEDENA has not yet allowed the installation of a voting station in Military Camp 1.

Regarding stations at risk, issues have been detected in 820 polling stations across various districts in Chiapas, including Palenque, Bochil, Pichucalco, San Cristobal de las Casas, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Comitan, Las Margaritas, and Huehuetan, where there have been clashes between organized crime and political groups. 

Guadalupe Taddei Zavala, President Counselor, INE, acknowledged that many polling stations will not be installed due to security concerns, but also out of respect for local customs, as seen in Michoacan. Additionally, some communities in Chiapas have indicated they will not permit polling station installations.

INE councilors unanimously rejected a request from PAN, PRI, and PRD to create a risk map for elections in violence-prone areas. INE stated that it is the responsibility of security authorities to ensure the safety of electoral processes.

Following complaints and concerns regarding violence during Mexico’s election process, President López Obrador announced that the National Guard will be stationed at voting stations across the country to ensure a smooth and incident-free election day.

For months, candidates, NGOs, and civilians have been calling for improved protection measures in the face of one of the most violent electoral processes in Mexico's history. The Electoral Laboratory documented 82 murders associated with the upcoming June 2 presidential elections. This figure surpasses the 43 murders recorded during the 2018 presidential elections. The organization said that despite differences in government data, they have recorded that 34 of the murders were aspirants to various popularly elected positions, while others included family members, politicians or public officials. Laboratorio Electoral also highlighted a total of 272 attacks during the electoral process, including 17 kidnappings, 65 assassination attempts and 108 threats.