The Superior Chamber of the Electoral Tribunal of the Judicial Power of the Federation (TEPJF) has ordered the National Electoral Institute (INE) to establish new campaign spending limits for candidates in the judicial election. The decision came after revoking an agreement issued by the General Council of the organization, arguing that the calculation of expenses must be adjusted according to various factors such as the type of election, the position, the electorate, and territoriality.
In a public session, Judge Reyes Rodríguez Mondragón presented a proposal that highlights the importance of adjusting personal campaign spending limits according to the conditions of each election. It was noted that a person running for a national position, such as a minister of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, cannot meet the needs of a campaign by traveling the country with the generic amount of 220,326.30 pesos that had been initially assigned.
Rodríguez argued that the limit established by the INE is neither reasonable nor proportional, generating conditions of inequity. The Electoral Tribunal maintains that the law establishes the need for the limits to guarantee equity among contenders, be proportional, and comply with the constitutional principles governing elections.
Following this decision, it is expected that the INE will issue a new agreement with differentiated amounts for each type of election, based on the relevant legislation but adapting to the particularities of each case. The project by Reyes Rodríguez Mondragón had the support of other judges in the Superior Chamber.
On the other hand, Judge Janine Otálora, who voted against the project, emphasized that while it is necessary to establish differentiated limits according to the type of election, these should be adjusted downward, starting from the limit of 220,000 pesos set by the regulation. She considered that increasing the limits could lead to inequalities, as those with greater economic capacity would have an advantage in the electoral process.
