President Claudia Sheinbaum Faces First Rejection: Deputies Vote Down Electoral Reform; Morena Announces 'Plan B'

The Chamber of Deputies rejected the electoral reform promoted by President Claudia Sheinbaum on March 11, failing to secure the qualified majority required to amend the Constitution. During the session in San Lázaro, the bill received 259 votes in favor, 234 against, and one abstention, a result that prevented the initiative from advancing, as constitutional reforms require the support of two-thirds of the plenary. Following the announcement of the outcome, the Board of Directors reported that the draft decree submitted by the federal Executive was dismissed, having not garnered the necessary votes.

“There were 259 votes in favor, 234 against, and one abstention… there is no qualified majority,” reported the Chamber’s secretariat during the session. During the debate, legislators from various parliamentary groups expressed their rejection of the bill, arguing that the proposal could affect political representation and democratic balance. From Movimiento Ciudadano, parliamentary coordinator Ivonne Ortega asserted that the initiative proposed by Morena did not strengthen the electoral system.

“The orange bench will vote against this electoral reform proposed by Morena because we have the arguments and alternative proposals,” she stated. Meanwhile, the PRI coordinator in the Chamber of Deputies, Rubén Moreira, affirmed that the initiative posed a risk to Mexican democracy.

“What we are going to discuss is the present and future of the Mexican electoral system,” he maintained. Even some allied parties of the ruling coalition, such as the Labor Party and the Green Party, announced that they would not support the bill, ultimately preventing Morena from reaching the qualified majority.

Morena Announces “Plan B”

Following the rejection of the constitutional reform, Morena’s coordinator in the Chamber of Deputies,

announced that his parliamentary group would promote a legislative alternative.

“Once it is rejected, we will begin to construct Plan B for the electoral reform,” he declared during the session. The legislator noted that the ruling party would continue to promote changes to the electoral system, although he acknowledged that the voting result did not align with his parliamentary group’s aspirations. With the vote recorded this Wednesday, the initiative sent by President Claudia Sheinbaum is formally dismissed in the Chamber of Deputies. The reform aimed to modify various articles of the Constitution regarding electoral matters, including changes to party financing, the political communication model, and the integration of Congress. However, the lack of consensus among the various political forces prevented the project from advancing in Congress.