Fabiola Martinez
La Jornada Newspaper
Tuesday, December 30, 2025, p. 8
The Executive Branch has indicated that it will present an electoral reform initiative that seeks, among other issues, to reduce the cost of public financing in this area, which increases each year to cover the structure defined in the Constitution and the laws.
In 2026 alone, maintaining national or federal tasks in political-electoral matters will cost just over 25,585 million pesos.
The National Electoral Institute (INE) will have a budget of 14,099 million pesos: 12,325 million correspond to the base budget – the majority destined to cover the organization’s payroll – and 1,754 million to specific projects.
Additionally, 7,737 million pesos will be allocated as prerogatives of the political parties, a figure that also maintains constant growth because its calculation is based on a constitutional formula and depends on the size of the electoral roll.
Likewise, about 3,749 million pesos are allocated to the Electoral Tribunal of the Judicial Branch of the Federation (TEPJF).
The above represents, as indicated, the national panorama of public financing in political-electoral matters, to which state structures and functions must be added.
That is, the 32 local public electoral organizations (Oples), the local political parties and the state electoral courts, whose financing is variable, since it is determined by each local Congress.
As for the INE, the 1,754 million pesos assigned to specific projects will be used, among other purposes, to assist in the organization of the election of deputies in Coahuila (353.4 million pesos). Although most of the spending is absorbed by the entity, the institute serves as rector of the national electoral system and, in that role, coordinates various actions for local processes.
It will also have 395.5 million pesos to begin the organization of the 2027 mega-election, since, although the voting will be held in June of that year, the electoral process begins the previous September.
The rest of the budget, around one billion pesos, will be allocated to tasks to strengthen democratic culture, administrative processes and improvements to update the electoral roll. In addition, an allocation of 138 million pesos is contemplated to advance the organization of the 2027 judicial elections.
Last November 29, during a public hearing of the presidential commission for electoral reform, the former executive secretary of the INE Claudia Suárez pointed out that in the past 35 years the electoral bodies – both federal and local – registered sustained growth in their payrolls, but without adequate “harmonization” or planning. He indicated that between 63 and 69 percent of the available resources are allocated to sustain these workforces.
“Democracy is at risk”
Days later, the INE advisors stated that, when adjusting the budget after cutting one billion pesos compared to their original request, these constant losses put democracy at risk. In contrast, the promoters of the reform maintain that there are unjustified and/or duplicate expenses.
In short, a new episode of analysis and discussion is approaching in the Legislative Branch. Although there was already an electoral reform in the last six-year term – in February 2023, identified as plan B –, it was annulled in June of that same year by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, considering some of its changes unconstitutional.
In this way, the most recent reform on the matter dates back to 2024, when rules on re-election, regulations for political parties, financing and rights of independent candidates, among other aspects, were defined.
President Claudia Sheinbaum is now promoting a new initiative, which would be sent to Congress at the beginning of the next regular period of sessions, in February 2026. Among the main elements to consider – according to the president’s statements – is the reduction in the number of deputies and senators and, in general, a decrease in public financing for political parties and spending for the polls.
