Sheinbaum Accuses Foes of Smearing 2027 Vote

MEXICO · POLITICS

Mexico's president says her opponents are trying to cast doubt on next year's midterm vote, as a contracts scandal shakes the country's election authority.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Wednesday 11 November that the opposition is trying to discredit the 2027 elections because it has little credibility and low poll numbers. She said the vote is guaranteed by the electoral institute INE, with its current councillors, and by the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house that will choose INE’s next president.

“Querer desacreditar la elección del 2027, porque ese es el objetivo,” she said, meaning “to want to discredit the 2027 election, because that is the objective.” She spoke at her daily press conference, known as “La Mañanera del Pueblo”, in the National Palace in Mexico City, Milenio, a Mexican newspaper, reported that day.

Why the Election Authority Is Under Pressure

INE is the independent agency that runs Mexico’s federal elections and counts the votes. Its president, Guadalupe Taddei, announced her resignation on 25 October, effective 26 October, after press reports of alleged conflicts of interest with suppliers of election materials, as Publimetro, a Mexican news site, reported.

Sheinbaum said on 11 November that the alleged business dealings did not start with Taddei but earlier. She linked them to a figure whom Milenio’s report does not name.

She also asked the competent authorities to find out who took part in contracts that, in her words, created a monopoly inside INE. She called for an investigation, and the report does not say which agency would lead it.

A Long Fight Over Who Counts the Votes

To make her case, Sheinbaum pointed to elections she says were tainted in the past. She cited the 2006 presidential race, which she called fraudulent and which was run by INE’s predecessor, the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE), and vote buying in 2012.

These are her characterisations, and Milenio’s report carried no reply from opposition parties. Her movement has long argued that Mexico’s electoral system favoured its rivals, while critics say a government attack on INE could weaken trust in the referee.

What Happens Next

The Chamber of Deputies will pick Taddei’s successor, and Sheinbaum has said she plans to propose a new electoral reform after the 2027 elections, as we reported on her plan to retry the overhaul. Mexicans vote in 2027 for all 500 seats of the Chamber of Deputies.

Our earlier coverage tracks Taddei’s resignation and the opposition’s terms for a successor. More background sits in our Mexico hub.

What It Means for You

For investors and companies with Mexican operations, a dispute over the credibility of the referee raises political risk ahead of a vote that decides control of the lower house. She said INE and its current councillors guarantee the election, so nothing in her remarks changes how it is run today.

What Is Not Known

It is not known who the figure she linked to the dealings is, which authority will investigate, or when the Chamber of Deputies will name a new INE president. The opposition parties had not responded in the report we cite.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Sheinbaum say the opposition wants to discredit the 2027 election?

She said on 11 November that the opposition has little credibility and low poll numbers, so its aim is to cast doubt on the vote. These are her statements, and no opposition reply was reported.

Who runs elections in Mexico?

INE, the National Electoral Institute, an independent agency, organises federal elections and counts the votes. Its president is chosen by the Chamber of Deputies.

What happened to the INE president?

Guadalupe Taddei announced her resignation on 25 October, effective 26 October, after reports of alleged conflicts of interest with election-material suppliers. The Chamber of Deputies is to choose her successor.

Sources: Milenio (11 November 2026); Publimetro (26 October 2026)