INE approves the single-polling station model for the 2027 election

The General Council of the National Electoral Institute (INE) approved the Single Polling Station Model for the concurrent midterm election of the 2026-2027 Electoral Process, through Agreement INE/CG469/2026. The decision, which also updates Annex 8.6 of the INE Election Regulations, was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation number 226/2026, on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, in the Autonomous Bodies section.

The model defines how the polling station boards (MDC) will be installed and operated in the 2027 elections, in which citizens will vote in a single location for both federal and local offices. The measure is based on Article 41 of the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States and Articles 32 and 44 of the General Law of Electoral Institutions and Procedures (LGIPE), as well as Article 441 of the Election Regulations.

Background and Accumulated Experience

The single polling station model is not new: it has been applied in the electoral days of 2015, 2018, 2021, and 2024, following the 2014 Political-Electoral Reform, which established the obligation to install single polling stations in concurrent processes. In the 2021 midterm election, 162,570 single polling stations were approved across the 300 federal electoral districts, representing 100% of the polling stations installed nationwide.

Previous experience dates back to the support and collaboration agreements entered into by the former Federal Electoral Institute with entities such as:

• Colima
• Guanajuato
• Jalisco
• Nuevo León
• San Luis Potosí

Scope of the 2027 Election

For the 2027 Electoral Day, federal deputy positions will be renewed, while at the local level, 17 governorships will be elected, in addition to local congresses and city councils. Concurrency will occur in all 32 federal entities, implying the installation of 100% of the MDC under the single polling station modality.

The model contemplates the integration of each MDC with one presidency, two secretariats, three scrutineers, and three general alternates, with additional personnel in the event of a popular consultation. The goal is to optimize the division of labor, especially in the scrutiny and counting process, and to allow the results of quick counts to be transmitted opportunely at both the federal and local levels.

Implementation and Coordination

The Executive Directorate of Electoral Organization (DEOE) will coordinate the implementation of the model with the district boards, through the corresponding local board. The agreement instructs the Executive Directorate of Electoral Training and Civic Education to make the necessary adjustments to the educational materials for the development of voting and the scrutiny and counting at the single polling station.

The location of the polling stations will be carried out in coordination with the Local Public Bodies (OPL), which will participate in the tours to locate suitable sites and will receive the preliminary and final location lists. The spaces must guarantee easy access, the secrecy of the vote, and oversight by political parties and independent candidacies.

Relevance

The approval of the single polling station model is key to the logistical organization of the 2027 elections, the largest concurrent exercise in the country’s recent history. By concentrating the federal and local voting in a single location attended by a single MDC, the model seeks to facilitate the exercise of voting, guarantee party oversight, and ensure an efficient use of the Institute’s financial resources.

Source: Official Gazette of the Federation, number 279 of 2026, Wednesday, August 19, 2026, Autonomous Bodies section, p. 169 (official reference: Agreement INE/CG469/2026).