Guidelines for Understanding, Adjudicating,
and Resolving Disputes in Elections
representation). This chamber also resolves parties’ challenges to decisions
made by the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE). Regional Chambers are empowered to settle complaints related to congressional elections (legislators
elected by majority) as well as of city councils and heads of administrative
and political institutions of the local governments within their jurisdictions.
The Federal Constitution, the Law of the Federal Judiciary, the Federal
Electoral Code and the Law of Electoral Complaint Settlement grant the
TEPJF the authority to adjudicate electoral complaints. Through a Nonconformity Proceeding, the Court can resolve complaints in federal legislative and presidential elections. The interested parties may contest the
results registered in a specific voting district within a four-day period from
the following day after each district finishes the tallying of votes. The entire presidential election must be contested within four days of IFE’s announcement of results. TEPJF can resolve appellate challenges to actions
and decisions issued by IFE. Most of these decisions have to do with
economic sanctions against political parties.
Challenges to rulings and decisions issued by competent state authorities
to organize, evaluate or settle complaints in local elections that might entail
decisive results for the development of an electoral process or to its final
electoral results can be reviewed by the Electoral Constitutional Review. In
order to work out challenges against actions and decisions infringing the political rights of citizens to vote, to stand for elections, to organize themselves
in political associations, and to become affiliated with a political party, a Proceeding for the Protection of the Political and Electoral Rights of Citizens can
be presented to the Electoral Court. The TEPJF is also competent to adjudicate labor complaints between itself and its employees, as well as between
the Federal Electoral Institute and its employees. Finally, it is important to
mention that the Court has the power to exercise constitutional review and
ensures the compliance of the electoral laws with the Federal Constitution.
The preceding brief overview of the history, reforms and evolution of
the Federal Electoral Court of Mexico highlights the functioning of the
Mexican election complaints adjudication process. However, the Court
not only adjudicates electoral complaints, it also provides training both at
home and abroad, as discussed in the next section.
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