Hundreds of potential voters on Sunday stood in large lines at the Mexican consulate, wrapping around city streets only to be turned away after hours waiting. Amber Frias reports the NBC4 News on June 3, 2024.
Thousands of potential voters on Sunday stood in large lines at the Mexican consulate, wrapping around city streets only to be turned away after hours of waiting.
At the Mexican consulate in downtown Los Angeles, voters were hopeful to be a part of the historical Mexican election but left in frustration after they said the agency was not prepared to serve so many people.
Monseratt Rosales, who lives in Los Angeles, waited for three hours and was unable to cast her vote. She was one of many who were disappointed after being left out of the historic election.
"We couldn't get into the consulate," said Rosales. “Immigrants that live in other places also care about Mexico and the regulations and we want a better country even though we’re not there."
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Robert Castellano, a political science professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and former employee of Mexico's National Electoral Institute (INE), says it was the first time INE allowed people to vote in person at Mexican consulates, which accounted for the large voter turnout.
Castellano said that the agency did not test the new in-person voting element before it was rolled out like it used to do when implementing a new system. He added that 80% more Mexican citizens voted abroad this year compared to the last election.
On top of all that, voters needed to register before election day and consulates only counted 1,500 ballots for unregistered voters.
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“Was not that easy or quick to do all the process of verification and identification in the polling stations that were located at the consulates," said Castellano.
In a news conference held Sunday afternoon, INE addressed some of the issues that went on at the polls. The agency confirmed that the voting locations abroad were insufficient and that they are working to improve the system for future elections, according to one of INE's counselors.
NBC4 reached out to INE for comment but did not get a response.
