Mexico's Instituto Nacional Electoral (INE) rejected the militants registry of the National Regeneration Movement (Morena) on Friday [1].
The decision challenges the legitimacy of Morena's reported membership levels and could impact the party's legal standing regarding party affiliations. By questioning the authenticity of the records, the INE is enforcing strict legal guarantees to prevent the inflation of political registries.
Officials at the INE headquarters in Mexico City said the registry was inflated with external records [1]. According to the electoral body, these entries lacked the original signatures of the citizens they purported to represent [1]. This absence of verification violates the legal requirements for authentic party affiliations [2].
Former INE secretary Edmundo Jacobo said the authenticity of the affiliations used by Morena to build its list was in question [2]. The INE's findings suggest a discrepancy between the party's reported numbers and the actual verified signatures on file.
Amid these disputes, Morena alleged that 93,000 [3] people were affiliated simultaneously with the Somos México party. However, this claim faced legal hurdles. Magistrates unanimously rejected Morena's assertion that these 93,000 [3] individuals were double-affiliated, which implies the court did not accept the registry figures as fraudulent in that specific context [3].
The conflict highlights a growing tension between Mexico's primary electoral authority and the ruling party's efforts to document its base. The INE continues to maintain that any party registry must be backed by verifiable, original documentation to ensure the integrity of the democratic process [1].
“The INE rejected Morena's militants registry, saying it was inflated with external records.”
The rejection of the registry indicates a rigorous stance by the INE against the use of digital or third-party records that cannot be verified with physical signatures. While Morena attempted to use double-affiliation claims to challenge other political movements, the electoral body's focus remains on the fundamental authenticity of the party's own membership list, which is a prerequisite for legal party operation and funding in Mexico.
