File No. 812.00/20696
Ambassador Fletcher to the Secretary of State
Mexico City, March 13, 1917.
Sir: I have the honor to report that elections for President of the Republic, and for Deputies and Senators of the National Congress, were held Sunday, March 11. The preliminary arrangements for these elections, as well as the procedure on election day, were in accordance with the electoral law, decreed by General Carranza under authority granted him in the recently adopted Constitution.
[Page 913]The following general summary of the procedure already followed, and yet to be followed, in the complete inauguration of the new Constitutionalist Government is given you in advance of the translation of the electoral law which I expect to forward to the Department in the near future.
The vote is based on the census of 1910 (one Deputy for each 60,000 inhabitants) and on the territorial division of 1912. The registration of voters was that made last October for the election of Deputies to the Constitutional Congress, revised and brought up to date by a board of three registrars for each municipality, and publicly posted February 20. Four days were then allowed for additions, changes and protests, and the final corrected lists were posted March 4.
Separate ballots for President, Deputy and Senator were printed by each municipality and distributed to the voters before the evening of the day preceding the election, the hour of delivery being recorded, and the voter’s receipt being taken, if he knew how to write.
In each district the superintendent of election, his alternate and the three registrars met at 8 a.m., and if nine voters had not presented themselves at that hour, the police were called upon to produce sufficient voters to make up that number, and they elected a board of five to act as judges of election. The polls were formally opened at 9 a.m. and closed at 3 p.m. If the voter could write he prepared his own ballot by writing in the name of the candidate voted for and signing the ballot with his own name. If he could not write, this was to be done for him at the polling place (according to the law) the voter being accompanied by a witness and announcing the names of the candidates for whom he wished to vote.
The stationing of troops near the polling place was forbidden, and soldiers were required to vote individually and unarmed. The influencing of voters by judges, as well as by any one near the polling place, was prohibited. Each political party, as well as each candidate, was allowed one representative at the polling place with the right to protest for causes specified in the law.
The electoral law prescribes in minute detail the manner in which the vote shall be counted, and provides many safeguards against fraud. This official count will be made in each electoral district March 15, and sent to the Secretary of the Congress of Deputies, except that the returns for Senators will be sent to the State election board for final count which will be forwarded to the Secretary of the Senate.
Senators and Deputies-elect will meet in this city April 2 and appoint credentials committees—that of the House consisting of fifteen members divided into groups of three each, and that of the Senate consisting of six members divided into two groups of three each. Each chamber will appoint an additional committee of three members each to report on the credentials of the members of the other committees. These committees will make their reports April 8, and the members declared elected will take the oath of office April 14 and organize preparatory to the opening of the extra sessions of Congress April 15 at 5 p.m.
The first duty of the Congress is to act as an electoral college and appoint a committee of thirty-one members to make the official count of the vote for President of the Republic. This committee will make [Page 914] its report April 26 to the Congress, which will declare the successful candidate for President of the Republic for the period December 1, 1916, to November 30, 1920, and notify him to appear before Congress at 5 p.m. May 1 to take the oath of office.
The preelection campaign brought many candidates into the field, especially for the position of Deputy, and considerable interest was aroused throughout the Republic, although it probably was due more to the work of individual candidates than to organized party effort.
My personal observations in this city and the reports of the press indicate that the election was held without incident of any special importance.
Although the claim made by the press of this city that a million and a half votes were cast for President of the Republic probably is an exaggeration, still the number is likely to exceed greatly the total of any other election held in the country since its independence.
It is generally considered by the well posted friends of the First Chief that he will be in control of both Houses of Congress, at least at the beginning of his administration, and I am told confidentially that special care has been taken to elect to the Senate high officers of the Constitutionalist army, and others closely identified with the President-elect.
I have [etc.]