9:39 a.m. ET, June 3, 2024
Millions turn out for largest election in Mexico's history
From CNN's Tara John and CNN en Español
People queue to vote at a polling station in Colonia Libertad, near the US-Mexico border in Tijuana, Mexico, on June 2.
Guillermo Arias/AFP/Getty Images
Sunday’s poll was the largest election in the country’s history. More than 98 million voters were registered to cast a ballot, and 1.4 million Mexicans were eligible to vote abroad.
In addition to the presidency, more than 20,000 positions were being contested by an estimated 70,000 candidates vying to become senators, mayors and governors.
But the elections were plagued by
immense violence. There have been more than 20 political killings since September, according to the Mexican government. By some estimates though, that number is even higher. According to Mexican consultancy firm Integralia, at least 34 candidates were murdered in the run-up to the vote.
Voting was suspended for several hours on Sunday in the southeastern Mexican town of Coyomeapan due to violence at the polling centers, according to state electoral authorities.
And while the murder rate fell in Mexico
between 2019 and 2022, in absolute numbers the country is still reeling from historically high levels of around 30,000 homicides each year. The true number is likely higher, experts say.
The violence appeared to have been a top concern for voters as cartels extend their grip through Mexico.
Claudia Sheinbaum has been coy about her security proposals but has pointed to her record as Mexico City mayor, when, according to her team, she improved the police force’s working conditions and intelligence-gathering abilities.