The Participación Ciudadana (Citizen Participation) civic watchdog group has issued a public note of support of a motion presented by the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) that rejects the “coat-tailing” of votes for deputies and senators. The PRM had asked the Central Electoral Board (JCE) to eliminate the practice of allowing votes for deputies to be counted for senators and has asked the JCE to provide separate ballots for senatorial candidates and deputy candidates.
Participacion Ciudadana asked the JCE to implement Art.92 of the Organic Law of Elections, (Num. 15-19), which calls for a separate ballot for senatorial candidates. The civic group said that “there is no doubt that the JCE has the power to regulate and establish a ballot for Senate races that is different from the one used for candidates for deputy.”
Participación Ciudadana said that it was “anti-democratic … that the votes for a deputy from one party should also go to the Senate candidate for the same party (coat-tailing).”
The PC also points out that Law Num. 15-19 also contains some contradictions regarding coat-tailing. Article 92 calls for separate ballots, while article 104, paragraph III prohibits votes from one district being counted for candidates from another district. Then paragraph IV of the same article makes an exception for senators “who will receive all of the votes obtained by the party in the province.” The constitutional and legal arguments will surely continue on this issue for the coming months.
Read more in Spanish:
El Dia
1 April 2019