Mexico: peculiarities in its electoral system and presidential term duration under debate

In Mexico, a country marked by a rich political history and impressive cultural diversity, we find peculiarities in its electoral system and the duration of the presidential term that are worth analyzing. One of the aspects that stands out the most is the absence of a second round of voting, a common mechanism in most Latin American countries to determine the winner in case no candidate reaches a clear majority in the first round. Mexico is one of the six countries in the region where a second round of voting is not held, along with Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, and Venezuela. This particularity means that in Mexican presidential elections, the candidate who receives the highest number of votes in a single round wins, without the need for a runoff between the two most voted candidates. Despite attempts in the last 20 years to establish a second round in Mexico, there has been no success in its implementation. The discussion resurfaces in competitive or controversial contests, but so far the relative majority method prevails for choosing the president, governors, mayors, and legislators in the country. One argument in favor of the second round is that it seeks to ensure that the winning candidate has majority support from the population, thus giving them greater legitimacy. This system, originating in France in the 1850s, has been adopted by several countries to strengthen the representativeness of their governments and avoid conflicts due to lack of popular support. In the case of Mexico, the absence of a second round has led to situations where elected presidents have not had the support of more than 50% of registered voters. Examples such as Vicente Fox's election with 42% of the votes, Felipe Calderón with 36.38%, and Enrique Peña Nieto with 38%, show the lack of majority support at the polls. The current president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, is an exception to this trend, as in 2018 he achieved 53% support from the electorate. However, the discussion on the need for a second round remains relevant in Mexico, especially in a context where electoral competition intensifies and the legitimacy of rulers is a matter of importance. Another peculiar aspect of the Mexican political system is the duration of the presidential term, which extends to six years. Mexico and Venezuela are the only countries in Latin America where the president governs for this period, while in the rest of the region the term is four or five years, with the possibility of reelection. This characteristic dates back to the 1917 Constitution, born out of the Mexican Revolution and the authoritarian rule of Porfirio Díaz, which initially established a four-year term of office. The extension to six years occurred in the 1920s, during the government of President Álvaro Obregón, in a context of political and social changes following the Revolution. Despite this extended duration of the presidential term in Mexico, the 2014 constitutional reform shortened the period between the election and the president's inauguration, moving it from December 1st to October 1st. This modification, implemented during López Obrador's term, aims to shorten the transition time and ensure continuity in government. In conclusion, Mexico stands out in Latin America for not having a second round of voting and for having a six-year presidential term, peculiarities that influence the political dynamics and the representativeness of rulers in the country. The discussion on the need to reform the electoral system to ensure greater legitimacy and representativeness in elections remains relevant in a context of changes and challenges for Mexican democracy.