By Juan Hernandez
Recently, we have witnessed various historical moments in the democratic life of Mexico. The elections for governors in Coahuila and the state of Mexico were the framework through which significant changes were brought about, not only in the results that the polls yielded (especially for Mexicans) but, above all, in the way our countrymen residing abroad participate. For the first time, with these elections, Mexicans residing outside the country were able to cast their vote in person at the consulates in the cities of Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles in the United States, as well as in Montreal, Canada. Perhaps in this pilot test that the National Electoral Institute implemented looking to the next presidential elections, the votes weren’t as high as they could have been. But we can be sure of one thing: in 2024 migrants could be decisive in winning or losing the presidency of Mexico. The table is set, and, paradoxically, the key players could be those who live in other nations with the dream of improving the country where they were born.
But what has been the evolution of the Mexican vote abroad? The experience began in 2006, when, for the first time, our countrymen living in other countries were able to participate in presidential elections. However, prior to this great step, Vicente Fox Quesada had already pushed with determination as president of Mexico for the vote of our countrymen abroad to be considered. Another important moment was in 2014, when an electoral reform came to fruition that contemplated three very important points for extraterritorial voting: a new form of credentialing, voting for senators and governors, and the possibility of casting the vote in person or electronically.
Finally, by 2018 there were 15 states and Mexico City that already considered voting abroad in their local legislation. If we analyze the hard data, in three presidential elections just over 170,000 votes of Mexicans living outside the national territory have been added, with the United States (78.85%), Canada (4.3%), and Spain (4%) being the countries from which the majority of votes came.
For many specialists, the experience of extraterritorial voting in Mexico has not been easy, not even for the electoral institutions, much less for the voters. One of the main complaints in the 2006 and 2012 elections was that a voter card that was only issued in Mexico was required, thus inhibiting the ability of thousands of undocumented migrants to vote. In addition, to register on the electoral roll, proof of residence abroad was required—something that put many countrymen on alert for fear of leaking data that could lead to their deportation.
In addition, the registration was by certified mail, which generated a cost that ended up discouraging many potential voters. Let’s not forget that we are less than a year away from deciding the political future of our country. Voting is a human and political right that gives meaning to all democracies in the world.
Therefore, pre-candidates, “corcholatas,” (popular word that refers to people running for president in 2024) and anyone who raises their hand to contest the presidential chair in 2024 must view migrants as fundamental pillars of their campaign structure. This is why the promotion of voting abroad should not be limited to the interior of countries, since it is an act of great importance that should be celebrated, even as a civic festival in every corner where a Mexican lives. It is the job of the states of the republic to work to promote the participation of our migrants in the electoral processes.
From the National Coordination of State Offices for Attention to Migrants (CONOFAM), we work very closely with the Commission on Migration Issues of the Chamber of Deputies in order to promote more and better legal instruments that allow migrants to participate.
At the same time, in Guanajuato, Governor Diego Sinhue Rodríguez Vallejo has asked us at the Secretariat for Migrants and International Link to be part of the construction of democracy in our entity regardless of political party affiliation. For this reason, we have collaborated with the Electoral Institute of the State of Guanajuato to motivate migrant leaders to participate in work groups that help integrate them into the political decisions of the state.
We live in historic times in which we cannot be oblivious—regardless of where we live—to the future of our nations of origin. As I have said in this space, we all have a loved one or friend who is currently fighting abroad to give the best to their relatives. The 2023 elections were only a first step, but, if they so decide, the millions of Mexicans residing abroad could, with their vote, improve the history of the country to which one day they promised to return.
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Juan Hernández is currently the secretary of migration and international liaison of the government of Guanajuato and collaborates for the newspaper El Sol del Bajío. This column was published with permission.
