To acknowledge the significant contributions of Mexicans living abroad and encourage them to take part in the country’s political process, the Mexican government has launched the Voto Chilango campaign. Despite its name, the initiative is meant for all Mexican citizens. The government is spreading information on how those interested can register to vote and/or apply for a voting card in hopes of increasing the number of participants in the upcoming elections this summer.
Though the campaign will help people vote in the presidential election happening later this year, it will also empower those from Chiapas, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Morelos, Puebla, Yucatan, and CDMX to participate in local elections.
In order to vote, you need to register with a valid voter ID card. If you already have your ID and it’s not expired, you can simply head over to www.votochilango.mx or www.votoextranjero.mx and register before March 31.
If you don’t have a Mexican voter ID, you can obtain one in the US by making an appointment at your nearest Mexican consulate (there are 50 across the country) and presenting your birth certificate, a valid ID (such as a driver’s license, passport, consular ID card), and proof of address. You can set up an appointment over the phone at 1-877-639-4835 or online here.
Any Mexican national can apply for a voter ID card regardless of their immigration status in the United States, so long as he or she is 18 and has the required documents. The deadline to apply for the card is also March 31, so the sooner you get it, the sooner you can register to vote.
The focus on chilangos voting derives from the fact that Mexico City is also electing a new mayor this year, and as the country’s political, cultural, and economic center – as well as being one of the largest and most innovative metropolises in the world – this decision is of utmost importance. However, all Mexicans, at home and abroad, have the opportunity to take part in the federal elections, and this effort aims to facilitate the exercising of this right by all those living beyond the country’s borders.
“The bond between those who live abroad and communities in Mexico is undeniable. There are economic, familiar, political, and emotional ties between us. We are the same nation living to the north and south of the Río Bravo,” notes Yuri Gabriel Beltrán Miranda, Electoral Counselor of Mexico City’s Electoral Institute.
The Voto Chilango initiative has also set up a 24/7 phone line in the United States to answer any other questions regarding voting abroad: 81-7761-5298.