DALLAS — Mexico has allowed its citizens who live abroad to vote abroad. Turnout Sunday was projected to break records as the country is expected to elect its first female president with two women front runners.
But by that afternoon, excitement turned to outrage. As the line in Dallas, several thousand people deep, appeared at a standstill. Juanita Guajardo was among the many who waited for up to fifteen hours.
“Sadness, anger, frustration,” Guajardo told WFAA. “Because they’re not letting us fulfill that right.
Guajardo stood all day in the heat, humidity, then torrential rain, only to learn she would not be able to vote.
“It saddens me that thousands of people, not just myself, are not gonna have that opportunity," she said.
INE is the body that runs Mexico's elections. INE Representative Diego Espinoza told WFAA in Spanish that many of the people in line did not pre-register as they needed to. He also said they had early voting opportunities online and by mail, and that INE allowed a higher number of non-registered voters than it originally planned to.
But many voters, like Maria Vargas, told WFAA they did register to vote and still weren't allowed to.
“Right now I feel so frustrated, really, really frustrated because it's not the way we need to run an election,” Vargas said.
A consulate spokesperson told WFAA the order came from Mexico that polls had to close at 7:30 p.m. None of the thousands of people still waiting in the rain would vote regardless of registration.
“So frustrated, so mad because this election is more important, one because I will be proud to have a woman as president,” Vargas said.