With the allocation of resources for vests, the INE prepares the call for bidding and contracting for the acquisition of clothing for these personnel, some 30,000 people, who will travel the country to visit 13 million homes and invite people born in February and May to participate in the judicial election.
It is estimated that each vest has a unit cost of at least 450 pesos, according to the most recent tender, held this year for local elections, if a similar model is chosen.
The vests are the garments that help the personnel hired by the INE to be easily identified and accepted in the populations, even in the safety of the trainers, because they must travel through municipalities with adverse problems such as insecurity or difficult access.
“(The INE) provides identification garments and clothing to the SE and CAE with the purpose of being recognized by citizens as temporary service providers of the INE, who will visit and train them, in addition to being a key element to generate trust and provide security in socially complex territories,” says the approved agreement.
In the last federal election, the INE faced failures in the bidding processes for clothing: jacket convertible into a vest, t-shirts and caps for assistant trainers and electoral supervisors.
Due to the resignation of officials from the previous executive management of Administration and internal disagreements for more than a year and a half, that area is still headed by an office manager.
At the end of 2023 and also in December, as now, the call for tenders for the purchase of clothing was issued, with each election being held in September or November.
The delay, lack of supervision and hiring cheaper suppliers in the long run led to delayed deliveries, low-quality material, non-compliance and increased prices. Still in March there were INE personnel without complete equipment.
In a matter of days, the INE must issue a call for tenders for clothing and simultaneously a call for citizens to work at the INE and be recruited as trainers and supervisors.
All of this is part of the 2024-2025 Electoral Training and Assistance Strategy for the Extraordinary Election Process of the Judicial Branch of the Federation, approved this week by the INE.
