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Writer Daniel Hernandez was already disappointed in US politics when he moved to his parents’ home country of Mexico almost five years ago. Now that he is registered to vote in Mexico for the first time he has found old problems in the political system of his new home.

Click here to download this week’s show. Photo courtesy of The Americas Program.

Daniel Hernandez is a freelance journalist based in Mexico City and a news assistant in the Los Angeles Times bureau in Mexico. He’s been a staff writer at the L.A. Times and LA Weekly. A native of San Diego, Calif., Daniel is author of the 2011 book “Down & Delirious in Mexico City.”

One thought on “Thoughts on Mexican Elections

  1. It’s because vontig is not compulsory in the USA. So their typical voter turnout is 30-40%. Last time people were amazed that there was more than 50% vontig.It works so well in Australia because we know everyone’s going to turn up (well 98-99% of registered voters) so we prepare. Why would the Yanks bother setting up so many polling places for only 30% of those elegible?Their system doesn’t seem very democratic from an Australian perspective where the pollies are always claiming a mandate. The US has a first past the post system so, if there’s a couple of 3rd party candidates, the winner might get only 40% of the votes cast by that 30% of the elegible population hardly a mandate for anything.

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