SEATTLE – Hundreds were turned away at the Mexican consulate in Seattle on Sunday, with some having waited hours to cast their vote in Mexico’s 2024 presidential election.
The consulate, located on E Roy St. and Harvard Ave. E, was overrun with Mexican voters expressing frustration over the broken voting process.
Several people waiting in line told FOX 13 that they got there early in the morning, but made almost no progress by the afternoon.
The polls officially closed at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, with the two leading presidential candidates being Claudia Sheinbaum and Xóchitl Gálvez. Some are calling this election the biggest in Mexico’s history, with more than 20,000 local and federal seats up for grabs.
As the polls came to a close, hundreds were seen chanting outside the Seattle consulate, demanding they get a chance to vote in the election. Seattle Police blocked off nearby streets as the building closed its doors, turning away the hundreds who never made it inside.
The process in Seattle was mostly slowed due to an underestimated voter turnout, as some said there were only four voting machines inside. A spokesperson for the consulate said Sunday “went as planned,” as they were only expecting a smaller group of people who had registered to vote ahead of time.
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