Somos México Announces Open Primary Elections for Candidate Selection

Mexico has long lacked a uniform legal framework for primary elections, with past internal contests limited to party structures and occasional historic primaries such as those that selected Vicente Fox and Felipe Calderón. Recent coalition efforts, like the Frente Amplio por México, also experimented with mixed voting and survey methods but fell short of a final citizen vote, ultimately naming Xóchitl Gálvez as candidate.

The newly formed party Somos México plans to formalize open primary elections open to all citizens with voting credentials. A national council meeting will approve rules allowing non‑party members to participate, provided they sign the party’s Declaration of Principles and Action Program. The primaries will be conducted via a dedicated electronic platform, eliminating traditional ballot boxes and polling stations, and aiming to increase participation and legitimacy compared with candidate selection by internal surveys.

Roberto Heycher Cardiel Soto, the party’s Secretary of Electoral Operations and Alliances, emphasized that the electronic system will ensure certainty and transparency, marking a first for open primaries in the country.