PHOENIX — It’s election day in Mexico and a historic election, with Mexicans set to elect their first female president on Sunday.
For the first time ever, Phoenix became one of 20 voting locations in the U.S. for Mexico’s historic presidential election.
It was a packed parking lot at the Mexican Consulate in Phoenix, as hundreds of people lined up to vote for Mexico’s presidential election.
“I’m happy,” said Gabriel Vielmas, a volunteer, who says he arrived last night so he could be the first in line to vote. “Yes, I was sleeping here… the first person who could vote.”
“This emotion is very, very, very good for everybody,” he said.
Marisa Ramirez visiting from Oaxaca, Mexico, lined up to cast her ballot. “I am actually visiting my friends and family here, but it’s time to vote,” she said. “I think this is very important for all of us.”
After all, this year could be one of Mexico’s biggest elections, historic in more than one way.
Mexicans are set to give the nation its first female president. It’s a groundbreaking development in a country where women couldn’t cast ballots for president until 1954.
“Having a woman as a president, I think that’s one of the best things that could happen,” said Ramirez. “We want to be part of this.”
Front runners for the coveted spot include Claudia Sheinbaum from the current reining political party and Xochitl Galvez who has gained traction.
The Mexican Consulate in Phoenix is one of 20 approved sites in the U.S. with 1,500 ballots available for Mexican citizens with a valid electoral ID who did not register to vote abroad by the February deadline.
“We’re number 1,029, so we’re excited we made it,” said Yvette Rasmussen, who’s originally from Mexico City, but now lives in Queen Creek. “I’ve been here since I was 15 years old. It is nice to be able to see how many of our citizens, even though we are here in the states, are still participating in the election.”
“We want to make sure that there’s more opportunities for all the entrepreneurs,” Rasmussen said.
Voters like Marcos Garciaacosta from Chandler hope Mexico’s next president tackles the most important issues at hand. “In Mexico, it is definitely going to be security,” he said.
Reducing crime and creating more opportunities are two of the top priorities for many people who showed up to vote in Phoenix.
“…more opportunities for the English language, for people to start learning English,” said Rasmussen.
Voters had until 5 pm to cast their ballots for Mexico’s historic presidential election Sunday.
According to the Migration Policy Institute, there are more than 38.7 million people in the U.S. who were either born in Mexico or are of Mexican descent, and nearly 2.1 million of those live here in Arizona.
For a closer look at the statistics, click here.