In Mexico's latest election for thousands of judges, an astonishing 90% of eligible voters abstained, leading to fears over the new judicial system's credibility. Voting turnout hovered between 12.6% to 13.3%, marking one of the lowest participations since the country's shift to democracy in the early 2000s.

The sweeping changes advocate for the public to elect judges rather than relying on appointments, claiming to democratize the process. However, skeptics view this initiative as a strategic move by the incumbent leftist Morena party to consolidate power. Participants who did vote found themselves overwhelmed by the sheer number of candidates competing for approximately 2,700 judgeships, leading to significant confusion at polling stations.

Electoral monitoring organizations reported evidence of manipulation, such as voters using cheat sheets from the Morena party and incidents of vote-buying practices, raising questions about the election's integrity. Laurence Pantin, a judicial independence expert, criticized the decision-making process, suggesting the election lacked authenticity and fairness, underlining the urgent need for reform to restore trust within the electoral system.