“What do you stand for?”, What do you represent?, into Spanish. This is what the beige shirt (so as not to clash with the uniform) of one of the prisoners at the North Prison in Mexico City says, and that she is one of the 30,390 people who began to cast their vote from prison for the first timefor not having – yet – a conviction.
Contrary to the ordinary election day every six or three years, in this prison, the exercise organized by the National Electoral Institute (INE) –to which El Financiero had access– It started at 9:00 a.m.
There are no boxes but only Seven tables with a screen were placed on the auditorium stage. Each prisoner was given an envelope with their ballots and another envelope to deposit their vote sealed in the ballot box.
They do not have a voter card, so your electoral data was previously verified; however, They did paint their thumb with the classic indelible ink.
The first to cast his vote was a man who borders on the first stage of third age.
There were those who came to vote with a cane and wearing white Crocs. Another man in a wheelchair, who had one of the tables taken down in the seating area of the auditorium. Two young people, of short stature and almost adolescent faces, stood out in the fifth row.
José Luis “N” is 24 years old and this was his first choice. “The vote is very important to see the improvements that citizens can haveand our family,” he said with his back to the camera, but unable to hide his nerves, because, although his fist was closed, he played with his nails.
He maintained the secrecy of his vote, but considered that he did so in an informed manner.: “They gave us the talks, we watched the debates, and with that we were able to support ourselves to vote.”
Indeed, Luisa Flores Huertapresident of the Local Council of the INE in Mexico City, explained that although they did not have access to party propaganda, they They were given pamphlets with their electoral platforms.
170 men participated in this prison this Monday, of the 190 scheduled, because 20 managed to obtain their freedom or were relocated.
The elections, for the majority, were not attractive. At least in the capital, well Of the 6 thousand people without a sentence, who had the possibility of exercising their right, only 1,862 accepted.
The inmates exercised their vote only for Presidency and local charges.
Outside the auditorium, five sentenced prisoners were only spectators of a right they lost and an atypical day in the Manly North.
