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Home > Press Room Archives > 2005 > Press Release
Press Release
LULAC Calls on Mexico to Give Migrants the
Right to Vote
Organization urges Mexican legislature to approve bill that
would allow Mexican’s living abroad to vote for President
without returning to Mexico
February 21, 2005
Mexico City,
Mexico – The President of the League of
United Latin American Citizens is calling for
the Mexican legislature to approve a bill that
would allow Mexicans living abroad to vote for
the President of Mexico, receive voting cards,
and vote at polling places in 35 U.S. cities.
“LULAC is in
support of the legislation under discussion by
the Chamber of Deputies,” stated LULAC National
President Hector M. Flores. “Its passage will be
a triumph for democracy and the millions of
Mexican citizens living abroad.”
The Mexican
migrant community has long sought the ability to
vote in Mexican elections. Many other nation’s,
including the United States and now Iraq, allow
their citizens residing abroad to vote in
national elections. The Mexican migrant
community has continuously grown in size and in
political clout in part because of the
importance of remittances sent back to Mexico.
“Mexican
migrants are at the threshold of realizing their
dream of being able to vote in presidential
elections,” stated Flores. “We encourage all
parties in Mexico to work out their differences
on this important legislation and allow Mexican
citizens living abroad a seat at the table."
Mexico began
allowing citizens living abroad to vote in its
presidential elections in 1996, but they had to
travel into Mexico to do so. In 2000, chaos
reigned in border towns when thousands of
Mexican citizens returned to vote at hastily
established polling places, some of which ran
out of ballots.
The
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
is the oldest and largest Latino civil rights
organization in the United States. LULAC
advances the economic condition, educational
attainment, political influence, health, and
civil rights of Hispanic Americans through
community-based programs run by more than 700
LULAC councils nationwide
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