Mexico's Senate Pleno debates President Claudia Sheinbaum's Plan B electoral reform on March 25, after approval in committees despite the Labor Party (PT)'s absence. The main controversy concerns the revocation of mandate date, potentially coinciding with 2027 midterm elections. Opposition criticizes the bill and PT remains uncertain on its vote.
President Claudia Sheinbaum's Plan B electoral reform reached Mexico's Senate Pleno on March 25, 2026, scheduled for 14:00. The bill, approved earlier in the joint Committees of Constitutional Points and Legislative Studies with 24 votes in favor and 11 against, sparked tensions due to the absence of Labor Party (PT) senators like Alejandro González Yáñez and Lizeth Sánchez, who criticized the ambiguous wording on mandate revocation in the third or fourth year of the term (2027 or 2028), potentially overlapping with midterm and judicial elections. Morena needs PT's six votes for a qualified majority on key articles like constitutional 35, which regulates revocation and allows the president to promote votes in their favor under electoral law. Óscar Cantón Zetina, head of the Constitutional Points Committee, admitted 'the coin is up in the air.' Sheinbaum downplayed PT's 'walkout' and stressed reducing privileges: 'Now everyone opines on the topic, nobody talks about privileges, what matters to us is reducing privileges.' Opposition rejected it: Marko Cortés (PAN) questioned spending on the president's image, Alejandra Barrales (MC) called for a 'head of state, not campaign chief,' and Alejandro Moreno (PRI) foresaw a 'monumental defeat.' INE, via Martín Faz, denied formal observations and warned of electoral oversaturation from simultaneous polls, recommending separate dates. Ricardo Monreal anticipates possible removal of article 35 without PT, yielding an incomplete reform. Saúl Monreal urged not to 'demonize' PT for their prior support on 24 reforms.
