INE clarifies protocol for unfolded ballots amid political controversy

The National Electoral Institute (INE) has clarified its protocols regarding ‘boletas planchadas’—ballots that lack fold marks—following concerns raised by President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and opposition parties regarding the 2027 federal elections.

President Sheinbaum expressed reservations about the new guidelines, suggesting they could potentially allow for irregularities or the unauthorized entry of documents into polling stations. In response, the INE stated that such ballots will not be automatically validated or discarded. Instead, they will be placed under administrative reserve, and District Councils will be responsible for analyzing each case individually to determine their legal validity.

Opposition parties, led by the PRI, intend to challenge these protocols before the Superior Chamber of the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary (TEPJF). INE counselor Frida Denisse Gómez Puga noted that the controversy may have been decontextualized, asserting that the protocol is designed to facilitate a legal chain of challenges rather than granting immediate validity to unfolded ballots. The TEPJF is expected to have the final word on the matter.