Mexico's INE addresses political violence and unresolved electoral crimes

As Mexico enters the 2026-2027 electoral process, the National Electoral Institute (INE) is focusing on addressing political violence against women in reason of gender (VPMRG). Electoral Counselor Carla Humphrey has highlighted the urgency of defining institutional policies and guidelines to prevent and sanction such violence, noting that many preventive actions remain delayed due to complex internal institutional procedures.

The INE is conducting training and dissemination efforts to help citizens and officials identify VPMRG, which includes behaviors such as blocking candidacies, restricting rights due to pregnancy, intimidation, and digital violence. These issues are particularly critical during party selection processes, pre-campaigns, and active campaigns.

Simultaneously, the electoral cycle begins amidst unresolved legal challenges. At least 25 cases of electoral crimes from the past decade remain pending in the federal judiciary. These cases involve various offenses, including vote buying, coercion, destruction of electoral material—such as an incident in Puebla where 11,000 ballots were burned—and aggression against polling station officials.