INE backs Morena's digital party membership system amid legal challenges

Mexico's National Electoral Institute (INE) approved a statutory reform that permits the ruling Morena party to accept electronic affiliations without requiring a live‑photo of the applicant. The council voted in favor of the change, noting that the approval does not automatically validate any existing registrations and that the institute retains the right to verify the party's membership list.

Earlier, a federal electoral tribunal struck down about 110,000 digital registrations made through an app used by the party’s former organization secretary, Andrés Manuel López Beltrán, because the records lacked the printed form, handwritten signature and live‑photo required by law. Critics, including several INE counselors, warned that Morena’s own app, which only captures an image of the voter ID, does not provide sufficient guarantees of authenticity. The institute emphasized that the new rules are constitutionally viable but that each affiliation must still meet identity, consent and data‑protection standards.

The controversy highlights ongoing concerns over the validity of the party’s claimed 12‑million‑member roster and the broader integrity of Mexico’s electoral process as the 2027 elections approach.