started · updated
TEPJF orders INE to invalidate unfolded 'boletas planchadas' ballots
The Superior Chamber of the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary (TEPJF) has unanimously ordered the National Electoral Institute (INE) to modify its guidelines for the 2026-2027 federal electoral process. The ruling prohibits the counting of 'boletas planchadas'—ballots that lack the necessary fold marks indicating they were properly inserted into a ballot box.
Magistrate Felipe de la Mata Pizaña argued that the absence of these folds makes it impossible to objectively link a ballot to a legally cast vote, noting that the physical dimensions of a ballot make it impossible to pass through the narrow slot of a ballot box without being folded. The decision revokes previous INE guidelines that allowed district councils to use subjective criteria to determine whether such ballots should be counted.
Under the new mandate, polling station officials must identify these ballots during the scrutiny and count, record them as an irregularity in the incident log, and keep them separate from the valid votes. This rule will apply to the upcoming federal elections scheduled for June 6, 2027. The ruling follows legal challenges from opposition parties, including the PAN, PRI, and Movimiento Ciudadano, who argued that the previous guidelines could facilitate electoral fraud.
Entities
Felipe de la Mata Pizaña · INE · Instituto Nacional Electoral · Mexico · PAN · PRI · Partido Acción Nacional · TEPJF · Tribunal Electoral del Poder Judicial de la Federación
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [DISPUTED] The determination regarding ballots without folds generally falls to the members of the polling station boards. cdj.com.mx · indicepolitico.com · rosyramales.com · ceonline.com.mx · dianaalvarado.mx · +3 more
- [● 12 SOURCES] The ruling applies to the Federal Electoral Process scheduled for June 6, 2027. cdj.com.mx · elperiodicodetlaxcala.com · indicepolitico.com · rosyramales.com · elineanoticias.com · +7 more
- [● 12 SOURCES] Ballots without fold marks, known as 'boletas planchadas', cannot be counted as valid votes. cdj.com.mx · indicepolitico.com · rosyramales.com · elineanoticias.com · ceonline.com.mx · +7 more
- [● 12 SOURCES] Magistrate Felipe de la Mata Pizaña argued that the absence of fold marks prevents an objective link between the ballot and a legally cast vote. cdj.com.mx · indicepolitico.com · rosyramales.com · elineanoticias.com · ceonline.com.mx · +7 more
- [● 12 SOURCES] Ballots without fold marks must be kept separate from the counted votes and recorded as an irregularity. cdj.com.mx · indicepolitico.com · rosyramales.com · ceonline.com.mx · dianaalvarado.mx · +7 more
- [● 12 SOURCES] The TEPJF revoked the INE guidelines regarding the preparation and development of electoral counts for the 2026-2027 process. cdj.com.mx · indicepolitico.com · rosyramales.com · elineanoticias.com · ceonline.com.mx · +7 more