Fabiola Martinez
La Jornada Newspaper
Sunday, February 8, 2026, p. 8
Since its creation in 2014, the administrative structure of the National Electoral Institute (INE) is rigid, with a high payroll cost, mainly due to the high salaries of its senior and middle managers, as well as the accumulation of various benefits and obligations.
A review of the body’s public documents shows that last year, of a base budget of 12,305 million pesos (not including the money allocated to the judicial election or party financing), the payroll absorbed 76 percent.
The resource was assigned to fund payments to 16,208 budget positions and 1,432 permanent fee positions, all with benefits.
In another section is the temporary fee personnel for temporary projects, who do not have benefits.
While the Judicial Administration Body ordered the Judiciary to reduce 10 percent of the payroll and restrict hiring for fees, as part of the austerity plan (The DayJanuary 18, 2026), the INE has not touched on the point.
The weight of the autonomous organization’s payroll makes it necessary, for example, to have a trust to cover labor liabilities (for the payment of settlements, among other items), which last year had a pool of 595 million pesos.
Directors usually defend the budget and the cost of payroll by pointing out that they are acquired rights; They assure that all INE spending is justified and is necessary to make “quality elections”, in addition to the fact that in perspective it represents a tiny part of the Expenditure Budget of the Federation (PEF).
The same PEF 2026 indicates that INE counselors have gross salaries of between 229 and 258 thousand pesos per month, plus benefits, so the total ordinary perception can be up to 366 thousand pesos.
The head of the executive secretary earns between 216 thousand and 243 thousand pesos, also, plus the specific benefits of the institute.
The managers receive 242 thousand pesos; coordinators, unit heads and directors, 177 thousand; area coordinators and directors 152 thousand; members (local boards) up to 115 thousand, and for district boards, in the range of 79 thousand, all these amounts plus benefits.
political spending
At a general level, political-electoral spending in Mexico during the period 2014-2026 has been about 265 billion pesos only if the budget assigned to the INE and the financing of national political parties is considered. Separately, there is what corresponds to local electoral institutes and courts and the federal court on the matter.
During 2025 alone, the INE’s base budget was 12,305 million and the project portfolio had 7,339 million, of which 6,219 million were allocated to organize the election of ministers, magistrates and judges.
For the current year – a period in which there will be no elections, except for the local one in Coahuila – the budget assigned to the INE is 14 billion pesos, plus 7,368 million for prerogatives to political parties.
