The cost of politics in Mexico

Mexico

7 Key Takeaways: Cost of Politics

Population: 131.4 million
Head of Government: President Claudia Sheinbaum
Ruling party/coalition: Sigamos Haciendo Historia
Last election: 2024
Next election: 2030
Number of registered voters: 99.1 million (2024)
Annual salary of member of legislature: MX$ 900,000 (US$43,400) + benefits
Year of study: 2024

The average cost of a campaign for a federal deputy election is MXN 487,404 pesos (US$25,583), with successful campaigns usually requiring almost double this investment.

Candidates often supplement the funding provided by their parties with personal contributions or private fundraising to cover campaign expenses. In highly competitive districts or where the party lacks a solid structure, candidates may personally finance between 30-50% of the campaign.

Although figures vary according to the region and the specific context, the price of a vote ranges from MXN 500 to 1,000 pesos. Four out of ten Mexicans report having seen candidates or representatives of political parties handing out gifts or favours on the campaign trail.

A campaign costs ten times more than what is authorised by the electoral commission, which has the capacity to audits only 10% of declared expenditure.

Gender-based political violence – harassment, threats and institutional violence - occurs not only in the context of election campaigns, but also once women have gained public office.

Violence associated with political activity in Mexico has become one of the main costs of participating in the country's public life.

Internal party candidate selection processes are also not without high costs. Candidates incur significant expenses to secure the support of party structures such as payments to delegates, financing of events and as a result of engagements with local leaders.

Key Findings

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Context

From 1977 to 2014, there were 11 electoral reforms that, among other things, aimed to promote inclusion, improve the certainty of the processes and guarantee the fairness of the contests. The changes gradually led to pluralism and increased participation, not only of a greater number of players and political parties, but also of historically relegated groups such as women.
During the 2024 federal election process, 32 indigenous persons and four Afro-Mexicans were elected to the new legislature. Of the 500 federal deputies, only one was won by a 43-year-old independent candidate. Both chambers were made up of 50 per cent women and 50 per cent men. In addition, for the first time in its history, the country has a woman as head of the federal executive branch and 13 women are governors of the 32 states.

The costs of politics

Mexico has one of the most detailed and complex oversight systems in the world, but it also faces major challenges in terms of implementation and effectiveness. A key aspect of this problem is the prevalence of illicit money in campaigns, which is mainly used to finance activities such as electoral clientelism, vote promotion or buying, and spending during election day.
On the supply side, political parties and candidates allocate resources to practices that seek to mobilise and secure votes in exchange for immediate benefits, such as money or material goods. On the demand side, voters may expect or request these benefits in exchange for their electoral support, creating a cycle in which public campaign financing is used to secure a victory through methods that compromise the integrity of the electoral process.
Organised crime uses violence as a mechanism to intimidate, eliminate opponents and favour its allied candidates. The growing violence in the country has forced electoral authorities to implement personal protection schemes as an urgent measure to guarantee the security of participants in the electoral contest.
Gender-based political violence is not an isolated consequence of electoral dynamics, but a reflection of deeply entrenched gender inequalities and stereotypes in Mexican society. For many women, participating in politics becomes a constant struggle not only to win votes, but also to ensure their physical and emotional integrity, as well as that of their families.

Consequences

Unequal access to economic resources generates a cycle of exclusion and perpetuates the under-representation of marginalised groups such as women, youth and indigenous persons in the country's political life. With less capacity for effective campaigning, their participation is reduced to a merely symbolic role, with no real chance of reaching representative positions.
In Mexico, there are two ways of doing politics and being part of a political party. The first is to be a "hothouse" politician, that is, to come from a political family and be part of the party "from the cradle". The second is to be a "wild" politician and to have grown into that path through a series of circumstances and decisions.

Recommendations

Review and simplify the regulatory framework for the constitution of new political parties so as to reduce the number of members needed and the number of assemblies required for registration. Furthermore, to prevent new parties from simply replicating existing practices, enshrine additional requirements that promote transparency, accountability and political innovation.
Create special funds to financially support candidacies of historically marginalised groups, such as women, youth and indigenous representatives.
Establish a comprehensive protection programme be established that includes personal security measures, legal advice and psychological support for politicians, especially those facing threats or violence.
Amend electoral legislation to not only require numerical parity in candidacies, but also to implement measures to ensure substantive parity in the internal processes of political parties.
Develop programmes to raise public awareness of the negative impact of vote buying on the integrity of the electoral process and the quality of democracy.

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