Hundreds of voters lineup as polls for historic Mexico presidential election open

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Polls for Mexico's Presidential predetermination are present unfastened for citizens of Mexico successful the Central Valley. The state is connected the brink of electing its archetypal pistillate president.

This is the archetypal twelvemonth that eligible Mexican citizens tin ballot successful a statesmanlike predetermination successful idiosyncratic extracurricular of Mexico.

The Consulate of Mexico connected Ingram and Alluvial avenues successful northeast Fresno says determination are much than 1,000 radical successful line.

Mexicans overseas tin ballot online, by message oregon successful person. If you did not registry to vote, astir 1500 ballots volition beryllium disposable for anyone with a existent ID who did not registry to ballot earlier February 25.

Mexico's National Electoral Institute (INE) says elector turnout extracurricular of Mexico has accrued from astir 32,000 successful the 2006 statesmanlike predetermination to an estimated much than 200,000 this year.

The elections are wide seen arsenic a referendum connected López Obrador, a populist who has expanded societal programs but mostly failed to trim cartel unit successful Mexico. His Morena enactment presently holds 23 of the 32 governorships and a elemental bulk of seats successful some houses of Congress. Mexico's constitution prohibits the president's reelection.

The apical 2 contenders representing the country's better-known parties are Mexico City's politician Claudia Sheinbaum and erstwhile legislator Xóchitl Gálvez.

Claudia Sheinbaum (left) is presently successful the pb against Xóchitl Gálvez successful Mexico's statesmanlike election. The state is connected the brink of electing its archetypal pistillate president.

Sheinbaum, who leads successful the contention arsenic the Morena party's candidate, has promised to proceed each of López Obrador's policies, including a cosmopolitan pension for the aged and a programme that pays youths to apprentice.

Gálvez, whose begetter was Indigenous Otomi, roseate from selling snacks connected the thoroughfare successful her mediocre hometown to commencement her ain tech firms. A campaigner moving with a conjugation of large absorption parties, she near the Senate past twelvemonth to absorption her ire connected López Obrador's determination to debar confronting the cause cartels done his "hugs, not bullets" policy. She has pledged to spell aft criminals much aggressively.

The polls are expected to adjacent astatine 6 p.m. Sunday. However, the consulate successful northeast Fresno is closing astatine 5 p.m. The archetypal preliminary, partial results are expected by 9 p.m. aft the past polls successful antithetic clip zones close.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.