Hundreds of Puerto Vallarta voters affected by late opening voting stations

Hundreds of voters in Puerto Vallarta were affected at 30 voting stations opening nearly two hours late due to staff shortages.

Citizens waiting to vote ended by volunteering to work at many of the closed voting stations so that votes could be recorded. All stations in the city were reported open by 10:00 AM while official voting was scheduled to begin at 8:00 AM by federal law.

Some voters believe this was an attempt to discourage voting in the city. Normal work shifts begin at 9:00 AM in hotels and throughout the tourism industry that operates on Sundays, leaving many early voters out of the process.

The midterm elections have been marred in controversy, violence, and calls for boycotts around the country.

The government of President Enrique Pena Nieto deployed troops and police this weekend to patrol the streets, skies and seas of Mexico to ensure people can vote.

At least 10 people were killed on Saturday in Guerrero state when rival factions of a self-defense militia clashed in a village, though authorities suggested the fight was linked to an internal feud and not the elections.

The deployment of federal forces followed daily protests spearheaded by a dissident wing of a teachers’ union that has stormed election offices, burnt thousands of ballots and ransacked headquarters of political parties in Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas states.

Nationally, 500 federal deputies, 17 state-level legislatures, and 9 governors, are being elected, and in voters in Puerto Vallarta will be electing a new mayor.