March 28th, 2018

The Electoral Institute of the State of Mexico (Instituto Electoral del Estado de México in Spanish) detected that 20 electoral districts concentrate plenty young population, but also high levels of abstentionism: almost 60%. Due to this, they have been labeled as “priority districts” in order to achieve most of the youth vote the next July 1st in the elections to renovate the Local Congress and 125 city councils.

Liliana Martínez Garnica, director of the IEEM’s Citizen Participation Department, highlighted the mentioned information during a course for journalists and she assured this year elections “will be on youth’s hands” due to in the nominal list the biggest group of voters are between 18 and 34 years old and they represent the 41% of total voters.

The director also reported priority districts are located in the metropolitan zone of the Valley of Mexico and some research have shown that, while in 70 semi-rural municipalities of the Valley of Toluca the electoral participation reaches levels above the state average: between 60% and 70%, in the 20 priority districts the percentage decreases to 40% or 51%.

“We consider a possible cause of these circumstances is the high number of people who live in the priority districts but work or study in Mexico City, which entail people do not feel as part of the district and do not participate in political matters related. Tecámac municipality is an example of this situation”, explained Martínez.

PRIORITY DISTRICTS

The electoral participation need to be promoted in these enlisted districts: the number 2 of Santa María Tultepec, number 8 of Tultitlán, number 19 of Tlalnepantla, number 20 of Nezahualcóyotl City, number 24 of Naucalpan, number 27 of Metepec, number 33 of Chalco of Covarrubias, number 37 of Cuautitlán, number 11 of Ecatepec, number 15 of Atizapan de Zaragoza; number 25 of Chimlahuacán and number 30 de Chicoloapan.

STRATEGIES

In order to promote the vote in these zones, the IEEM expect to attract the youth’s attention through the organization of forums to debate topics related to the importance of the elections of this July 1st.

Other cultural and entertainment activities are also being prepared into public and private schools, for example: “a selfie for democracy” or “a photo for the free vote”.

Mary Delgado