SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Baja California was the Mexican state with the lowest voter turnout during last Sunday’s presidential election in Mexico, according to the National Electoral Institute.
Figures issued by the federal agency show only 48 percent of register voters in Baja California — 1 of 32 states — went to the polls.
The state of Yucatán was the highest with a 73 percent voter turnout. The national average was 61 percent.
“Preliminary evaluations indicate a positive trend when you consider there was a 10 percent increase over the last elections in 2021,” said Luís Alberto Hernández Morales, head of the state’s electoral institute.
Statewide, the city of Mexicali, Baja California’s capital had a 51 percent voter participation rate; the lowest was the city of Tecate with 44 percent.
Hernández Morales said they went out of their way to have as many people vote as possible with some polls staying open until 8 p.m. or two hours after they were supposed to close.
“The law states if people are waiting in line after 6 p.m. you have to keep the voting going until the line ends or ballots run out.”
Voters in Tijuana elected Ismael Burgueño as their new mayor.
Claudia Sheinbaum will be Mexico’s next president. She officially takes over on October 1.
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