Election Day in Mexico is June 6. Millions of voters will select their legislative representatives. Many of those voters no longer live in Mexico, but they still demand to have their voices heard.
Migrants from Mexico City who live abroad will have the opportunity to vote for a council person that will represent them in the Mexico City Congress.
Mexico City isn’t just the capital of the country of Mexico. It’s also its own state.
Electoral Councilor Mauricio Huesca of the Electoral Institute of Mexico City says the election of a new migrant council person marks a milestone in Mexican democracy.
“This is the first time that Mexico City's residents (living around) the whole world (will) have this opportunity to elect their own representative,” Huesca said. “For the first time, they are going to not just vote for the Mexican election, but vote for one person that comes from abroad and (represents) their interests.”
Huesca said the council person will be one of the 66 members sitting on the Mexico City Congress.
Rodrigo Cervantes, Mexico City bureau chief and reporter for KJZZ in Arizona, said the migrant council person will travel back and forth between their country of residence to the legislative assembly in Mexico City.
“It just tells you about the nature of a globalized world,” said Cervantes.
He said the election emphasizes “the importance of giving voice to those who, despite participating actively in the economy and the culture of two or more nations, also deserve a space for participating in the democracy and in building a better society for the places where they come from.”
Of the 500,000 or so Mexico City residents living abroad, only a small percentage are eligible to vote in the upcoming election.
Huesca said about 100,000 Mexico City migrants have election IDs that permit them to vote remotely.
Eligible Mexico City residents abroad have until June 6 submit their virtual vote. Mail-in votes should be received by June 5.
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