Mexicans Abroad May Get OK to Vote

Mexico’s interior minister pledged Tuesday to give Congress a proposal by Sept. 1 that would enable Mexicans living abroad to vote in the nation’s 2006 presidential election.

The 10 million Mexicans living abroad were technically granted that right in 1996, but delays in deciding how to set up registration and voting booths have in effect blocked them from doing so. About 8 million Mexicans live in the United States.

“We will present a bill before Sept. 1 that will allow us to make this a reality,” Interior Minister Santiago Creel said.

Creel did not specify how the bill would address the technical problems. But he said the proposal, which would have to be approved by Congress, would be given high priority.

“Many others have made proposals,” Creel said, “but this time we will make an appeal based on the urgency of doing this so that Mexicans living outside our territory can vote in the 2006 presidential elections.”

A government task force has been considering options, including a traditional balloting system administered by Mexican consulates, electronic voting booths and voting by e-mail.

The 1996 law is murky about who is eligible to vote.