INE approves precampaign dates and support for independent candidates in 2026-2027

The General Council of the National Electoral Institute (INE) approved the exercise of its attraction power to determine standardized dates by blocks for the conclusion of the pre-campaign period and the period for gathering citizen support for independent candidacy aspirants. The measure, which applies to the 2026-2027 Local Electoral Processes concurrent with the 2026-2027 Federal Electoral Process, was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, through the extract of Resolution INE/CG478/2026.

The request was submitted by at least four electoral councilors belonging to the Linking Commission, and the General Council declared it admissible, considering that it guarantees the principles of certainty and equity in local elections and promotes better coordination between the Institute and the Local Public Bodies (OPL). The objective is limited to setting conclusion dates, while the duration of the stages and their start dates continue to be governed by local legislation.

Standardized dates by blocks

The resolution distributes the 32 entities into four blocks with end dates for both pre-campaigns and the citizen support period for independent candidacies.

Pre-campaigns:

• Block 1 (Chihuahua, Colima, Guerrero, and Sonora): January 10, 2027.
• Block 2 (Durango, Jalisco, and Nuevo León): January 21, 2027.
• Block 3 (Federal Deputations, Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Mexico City, Chiapas, Coahuila, State of Mexico, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Yucatán, and Zacatecas): February 12, 2027.
• Block 4 (Puebla, Tabasco, and Veracruz): February 28, 2027.

Citizen support for independent candidacies:

• Block 1 (Chihuahua, Colima, Guerrero, Nuevo León, and Sonora): January 10, 2027.
• Block 2 (Campeche, Durango, and Jalisco): January 21, 2027.
• Block 3 (Federal Deputations and the remaining 22 entities): February 12, 2027.
• Block 4 (Puebla, Tabasco, and Veracruz): February 28, 2027.

Obligations for local bodies

The SEVENTH resolution binds the 32 OPLs to make the corresponding adjustments to their electoral calendars and to adopt the necessary measures to harmonize them with the approved dates, and they must inform the INE of this through the Technical Unit for Linking with Local Public Bodies. The NINTH resolution instructs the Linking Commission to follow up on the implementation of the resolution.

Validity and publication

The resolution enters into force the day following its publication and will remain in effect until the conclusion of the referred activities. The abstract is published in the Official Gazette of the Federation, while the full text is disseminated in the Electoral Gazette and on the INE website. It was approved in an extraordinary session of the General Council on July 30, 2026, and signed in Mexico City on July 31, 2026, by the Executive Director of Legal Affairs, Anahí Silva Tosca.

The standardization of dates affects all parties and candidates in the concurrent electoral process by unifying the pre-campaign and support collection calendars across the 32 entities. For readers, this implies a more predictable and equitable electoral calendar in the lead-up to the 2027 elections.

Source: Official Gazette of the Federation, Wednesday, August 26, 2026, Autonomous Bodies, pp. 103-106 (official reference: Resolution INE/CG478/2026).