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FRESNO, Calif. – On Sunday, a historic election in Mexico could see the first woman ever become president, and some Mexican citizens in the Fresno area are casting their vote from abroad.
The two leading candidates in this landmark election are women. Claudia Sheinbaum – who is allied with current President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the ruling party MORENA – is already predicted to win by most polls, which have her at 56%.
Behind her is Xochitl Galvez – a candidate representing a coalition of parties including the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the National Action Party (PAN). The only male candidate, Jorge Alvarez Maynez, is running with the Citizens’ Movement party.
Mexico faces generations-old problems with crime and poverty. But for some Mexicans abroad, like Maria Cervantes of Fresno, having a woman lead the country is an opportunity for fresh perspective. She said she began taking an interest in politics in her birth country after the last presidential election in 2018.
“People will see the power that we [women] have. Women can make change. We run the household and also work,” Cervantes told KVPR.
Mexicans living abroad are seen as a key voting group since more and more are eligible to vote and could influence outcomes in their home country.
According to the Wilson Center, a nonpartisan research firm, 97% of Mexicans who live abroad with valid voting credentials live in the United States. Most votes are cast in major cities like Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago.
In Fresno, some have cast their votes online for weeks. Others, like Cervantes, plan to vote on election day. Voters are asked for valid Mexican voter identification cards at the local polling places, which are based at consulate offices.
Cervantes said poverty and pensions for the elderly are her most important issues. She sees Sheinbaum as the candidate who shares her concerns and solutions.
A watch party is planned at a home in the Tower District on Sunday, where Cervantes and several politically active residents hope to witness history being made.
