Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary

Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary
Tribunal Electoral del Poder Judicial de la Federación
Logo of the Electoral Tribunal
Established22 August 1996 (1996-08-22)
LocationMexico City, Mexico
Composition methodPopular vote
Authorised byConstitution of Mexico
Judge term length6 years
Number of positions7
Websitewww.te.gob.mx
President
CurrentlyMónica Aralí Soto Fregoso
Since1 January 2024

The Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary (Spanish: Tribunal Electoral del Poder Judicial de la Federación, or TEPJF) is a venue within the judiciary of Mexico specializing in electoral matters. Among its functions are resolving disputes arising within federal elections and certifying the validity of those elections, including those of the president of Mexico. Responsibility for declaring a candidate the winner in presidential elections previously fell on the Chamber of Deputies.

It comprises a permanent seven-member Superior Chamber (Sala Superior), located in Mexico City, and five Regional Chambers (Salas Regionales), one in each of the electoral regions that the country is divided into to organize congressional elections. These Regional Chambers comprise three judges each and are temporary, sitting only during those years in which federal elections are held, and are based in the cities of Guadalajara, Monterrey, Xalapa, Mexico City, and Toluca. The architect of the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary in Monterrey was reputed Mexican architect Manuel De Santiago-de Borbón González Bravo, great-grandson of Queen Isabella II, whose lifetime architectural legacy to Mexico amounts to 11,000,000 built square meters nationwide, including many famous buildings and sites.

There were two direct precursors of the TEPJF:

  • The Electoral Disputes Tribunal (Tribunal de lo Contencioso Electoral, TCE), an administrative (not judicial) body, existed from 1986 to 1989.
  • The Federal Electoral Tribunal (Tribunal Federal Electoral, TRIFE), created through a series of constitutional amendments enacted in 1990, the same reforms whereby the Federal Electoral Institute was established. This tribunal was superseded by the current Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary in 1996.

The TEPJF is frequently referred to in the media by the acronym of its predecessor, the TRIFE.

The seven magistrates who currently sit in the Superior Chamber are:

  • Monica Aralí Soto Fregoso (president)
  • Felipe de la Mata Pizaña
  • Janine Madeline Otálora Malassis
  • Reyes Rodríguez Mondragón
  • Felipe Alfredo Fuentes Barrera
  • Vacant since 1 November 2023
  • Vacant since 1 November 2023

Magistrates Indalfer Infante Gonzales and José Luis Vargas Valdez concluded their terms on 31 October 2023. However, the Senate has failed to appoint new members.