Mexico will hold its first-ever popular elections for federal judges on June 1, as the Organization of American States (OAS) readies to deploy observers for the historic vote that legal experts warn may threaten judicial independence.

The unprecedented experiment will see Mexicans elect almost 900 federal judges and hundreds more across 19 state jurisdictions, replacing a system where prospective judges were required years of experience within the judiciary. Under the new rules, candidates need only five years of legal experience and a law degree.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has promoted the controversial reform masterminded by former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) and approved by Senate in September 2024, has urged citizens to research candidates ahead of the vote, pointing out that voters rather than the executive will now select Supreme Court justices. "Mexico is going to give an example to the world because the judiciary will also be elected by the people," Sheinbaum said on May 26, El Economista reported. She denied claims she would have a say on the pick of new justices, noting the previous system allowed presidents to propose candidates to the Senate.

In March, the president claimed that with the judicial election the country would become the "most democratic in the entire world."

"I like to say it, because it's the truth, that this June 1 we will show that Mexico is the most democratic country in the entire world, because we will not only elect the president, governors, deputies, senators, but also the entire judicial branch," Sheinbaum told journalists while leading an event in the central state of Hidalgo.

The OAS observation mission, led by former Chilean foreign minister Heraldo Muñoz Valenzuela, comprises 16 experts from 10 countries. This marks the eighth OAS electoral mission in Mexico and the first focused on judicial elections, with funding from Canada, Colombia, France, South Korea, Panama, Dominican Republic, Netherlands and the United States.

Legal experts have condemned the reform as "Kafkaesque," warning it could enable organised crime infiltration. The Mexican Bar Association described it as "a dysfunctional mechanism" that discards 30 years of judicial improvements. As of May 26, expected turnout is just 8% to 15%, compared with over 60% in last year's presidential election.

Foreign investors fear the changes will make it impossible to win cases against the government, whilst anti-corruption groups identified 17 "high risk" candidates, including individuals with suspected links to the Sinaloa Cartel and Los Zetas criminal organisation.