MEXICO CITY, June 2 The first polling stations opened in the south eastern Mexico in general elections, where about 99 million citizens will choose a new president, deputies, senators, governors and more than 19 thousand local officials.
During a ceremony at the National Electoral Institute INE, the head of the department, Gudalupe Taddei, called on citizens to vote with the confidence that every vote counts for strengthening democracy.
«I call on all citizens to come out and vote together, with pride and confidence that every vote is critical to strengthening our democracy,» Taddei said.
According to local media, polling stations in the southeastern state of Quintana Roo were the first in the country to open due to the time difference. In total, more than 170 thousand polling stations will be open to voters in Mexico from 8:00 to 18:00 local time.
Official election results in Mexico will be announced after the vote count, which will last June 5-8, but quick count data from 7,500 pre-selected polling stations will be available by 11 p.m. Sunday (Monday at 8 a.m. Moscow time).
The winner of the vote is determined in one round using the relative majority system — the candidate who receives more votes than the other candidates will become president. The inauguration of the president-elect will take place four months after Election Day, October 1, the day of the transfer of federal executive power.
For the first time in the history of Mexico, a woman can lead the state based on the election results. The main contenders for the presidency are the candidate of the ruling party National Reconstruction Movement Morena Claudia Sheinbaum and the standard-bearer of the opposition coalition Xochitl Galvez.