Mexican president hails ‘complete success’ after just 13% vote in judicial elections

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has defended the country’s unprecedented judicial elections after just 13% of Mexicans turned out to vote, a record low in a federal election. Roughly 2,600 posts, from local magistrates to supreme court justices, were up for grabs on Sunday, as an entire judicial system was put to the vote for the first time in the world. But the concept was challenged by critics who said it would bulldoze the separation of powers and could flood the judicial system with candidates who were underqualified and aligned with political interests. Given the sheer number of positions and candidates involved, critics had warned that a low turnout was likely. The new judges will take their seats in a transformed judicial system in September.