Electoral Integrity and the Role of Justice in the Electoral Process in México

• In Event: Judicial Interference, Violence and Malpractices in Mexican Elections

Abstract

The Electoral Tribunal of the Judicial Branch of the Federation, TEPJF, is the body in charge of ensuring the legality of elections, the peaceful resolution of electoral conflicts, as well as access to and defense of the political and electoral rights of citizens in Mexico. It is a constitutional Court of last resort in electoral matters, so its role in the validity of electoral processes is crucial. In recent years, the TEPJF has contributed to the search for fair elections, applying the perspective of electoral integrity in some of its judicial sentences in which not only local norms are used, but also global norms or applicable international standards to the specific cases under study. Another distinctive characteristic of these sentences is the broad approach used through which the effects throughout the electoral cycle are analyzed and both the general and specific context of the cases and the actors involved are considered. In this context, this paper has the purpose of analyzing to what extent through its decisions, and more specifically its judicial sentences, the TEPJF managed to punish and discourage illegal conducts and electoral malpractices that were reported in the 2023-2024 electoral process, contributing with this to the quality of the elections. The research is based on the analysis of relevant judicial sentences of the superior chamber of the TEPJF during the electoral process between March and September 2024. I applied the “General Guidelines to Detect and Punish Electoral Malpractices using the Perspective of Electoral Integrity” designed by the teamwork of the Judge Reyes Rodriguez Mondragón.

Author

• Irma Mendez de Hoyos, Facultad latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales/TEPJF