Supreme Court invalidates Tamaulipas electoral reform

The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) has unanimously invalidated a decree passed by the Tamaulipas Congress that sought to bar individuals facing criminal proceedings or preventive detention from running for municipal office.

The court ruled that Decree 66-1146, which modified the Municipal Code for the State of Tamaulipas, violated constitutional timelines. Specifically, the decree was published on July 1, falling within the 90-day electoral moratorium that prohibits fundamental changes to electoral legislation before the start of an election cycle. The 2026-2027 local electoral process in Tamaulipas is scheduled to begin on September 13.

The unconstitutionality actions were filed by the PAN, PRI, PT, and Somos parties. They argued the reform violated the right to be elected, municipal autonomy, due process, and the presumption of innocence by restricting candidates without a final conviction. Justice Irving Espinosa Betanzo, who authored the proposal, noted that the deadline for promulgating such reforms was June 15.