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* The official quick count from the INE has projected Claudia Sheinbaum as the winner of Sunday’s presidential election with between 58.3 and 60.7 percent of the vote. It put her nearest rival, Xochitl Galvez, who leads a coalition of largely conservative parties, on 26.6-28.8 percent.

* The official result will be announced on June 8, but Sheinbaum’s victory marks a historic result for Mexico, giving the country its first female president.

6m ago (07:00 GMT)

Photos: ‘I won’t fail you’, Sheinbaum tells supporters

20m ago (06:46 GMT)

Sheinbaum says Galvez and Maynez have conceded defeat

Speaking to supporters, Sheinbaum said both of her competitors Galvez and Maynez had called her and acknowledged her victory.

Neither candidate have made a public statement yet, however.

20m ago (06:45 GMT)

‘Day of glory’: AMLO congratulates Sheinbaum on presidential victory

AMLO has congratulated Sheinbaum on her victory, posting a video on X.

Mexico’s outgoing president and Sheinbaum’s political mentor said it was a “day of glory” for the people of Mexico, noting that she was the first woman to be elected as the country’s leader.

“Congratulations to all of us who are living in these times of transformation,” he said in the video.

32m ago (06:34 GMT)

Sheinbaum just addressed her supporters, promising fiscal discipline, freedom of the press and a continuation of Lopez Obrador’s social programmes.

We will bring you more from her speech soon.

Sheinbaum also posted on X: “For the first time in 200 years of our Republic, there will be a woman president and she will be transformative. Thanks to all Mexicans. Today with our vote we demonstrated we’re a democratic people.”

35m ago (06:31 GMT)

Sheinbaum will bring more orderly leadership: Analyst

Carlos Ramirez, a consultant at Integralia, said the Mexican administration is likely to be more organised under Sheinbaum.

“I believe we can anticipate a presidency under Sheinbaum that is more disciplined than Lopez Obrador’s,” he told Al Jazeera.

“A more orderly presidency, a presidency with more planning, with a more technical profile among the officials who will surely accompany and surround her in her cabinet. And a president who better understands the world, unlike Lopez Obrador, whose vision has always been very provincial, very local,” he added. Claudia Sheinbaum, presidential candidate of the ruling MORENA part Sheinbaum, presidential candidate of Morena party, gives a thumb up after voting in the general election, in Mexico City [Daniel Becerril/Reuters]

36m ago (06:30 GMT)

Will Sheinbaum be different to Lopez Obrador?

Many view Sheinbaum as the voice of Lopez Obrador, but Brewer at WOLA said the politician could chart her own path if she becomes president.

“On the campaign trail, we’ve heard Claudia Sheinbaum essentially endorse all of Lopez Obrador’s policies. So the question on everyone’s mind is to what extent is she going to be her own person and perhaps change some of those policies if she wins the presidency?” Brewer told Al Jazeera.

“She describes herself as someone who loves data, who makes decisions and implements policies based on data and that’s certainly in contrast to Lopez Obrador. She is someone who has an environmental science and engineering background. She has spoken about the need for Mexico to lead more in multilateral spaces on the climate emergency. She’s someone who, despite endorsing militarisation, did strengthen and take action on the civilian police in Mexico City as mayor here. So there’s reason to think that there could be some differences, but the jury is still out.”

41m ago (06:25 GMT)

Costa Rica joins countries congratulating Sheinbaum

Rodrigo Chaves Robles, the president of Costa Rica, has also congratulated Sheinbaum.

He said in a post on X: “Costa Rica and Mexico are sister countries. Congratulations @Claudiashein for winning the presidency democratically and for being the first woman to be president of that country. My best wishes for her and Mexico.”

44m ago (06:22 GMT)

Scale of Sheinbaum’s victory comes as a surprise

Lucia Newman

We finally have the results from the Electoral Council. It took a lot longer than expected.

They are also quite surprising: a massive victory for Claudia Sheinbaum, the candidate of continuity representing the currently governing party, with 58.3 to 60.7 percent of the votes.

Claudia Sheinbaum has at least scored double the votes of her main opponent. It’s very surprising how massive her victory has been.

The presidency is now almost certainly in the hands of Claudia Sheinbaum, who we are expecting to speak very shortly from her election headquarters. After that, she is expected to come to where we are now, in front of the Presidential Palace, where you can still hear the Mariachis singing in front of thousands of people who have been waiting for hours to greet her. General view of supporters of Mexico’s presidential candidate General view of supporters of Mexico’s presidential candidate for the Morena party, Claudia Sheinbaum, at Zocalo Square [Rodrigo Oropeza / AFP]

51m ago (06:15 GMT)

Ruling coalition on track for supermajority in both houses of Congress

The INE’s quick count shows the ruling coalition may be able to secure an overwhelming majority in both houses of Congress.

We’ll have a breakdown for you shortly.

1h ago (06:05 GMT)

Developing

Claudia Sheinbaum wins Mexican presidential election, quick count shows

As we’ve seen, the INE quick count projects Claudia Sheinbaum has won the Mexican presidency.

Sheinbaum, the candidate for the ruling Morena Party, has maintained a healthy lead in the polls since the start of her campaign and was widely expected to emerge the winner. Her victory nonetheless marks a significant milestone for the country.

She not only becomes Mexico’s first female president but also its first president of Jewish heritage.

A scientist as well as a politician, she was part of a team that put together a 2007 climate change report that won the Nobel Peace Prize that year.

Nevertheless, her critics are sceptical that she will bring significant change, whether in environmental policy or women’s rights.

Sheinbaum has said she plans to continue much of outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s platform, including his support for state-run oil companies, and feminist groups question whether her policies will adequately address the high levels of violence women face in the country.

The official result will be announced on June 8.

1h ago (05:59 GMT)

Breaking

Sheinbaum to receive 58.3-60.7 percent of vote, quick count shows

The INE’s quick count has just come in.

It shows Sheinbaum taking 58.3 to 60.7 percent of the vote, while Galvez is to receive between 26.6 and 28.8 percent of the vote.

Maynez is to obtain 9.0 to 10.8 percent of the vote.

1h ago (05:55 GMT)

Head of electoral agency urges restraint in election reporting

Guadalupe Taddei Zavala, the president of Mexico’s National Electoral Institute (INE), issued a statement thanking the people of Mexico for their commitment to democracy and called on political parties, their candidates and the media to maintain the peace and act with restraint in announcing the results.

The plea came after a number of news organisations called the presidential race based on private exit polls with little official information available.

Zavala said Mexico’s “electoral system is designed to ensure that every vote counts and that every result is verified in a fair and transparent manner”.

1h ago (05:50 GMT)

When will we know the final results?

The results are likely to be finalised only by June 8.

However, Mexicans are expected to have access to the quick count – a statistical projection estimating voting trends from a random sample of 7,500 polling stations – within a few hours of the polls closing.

The INE was set to announce the quick count at around 10pm on June 2 local time (03:00 GMT on June 3), but that has been delayed and it is not clear when the estimates will be publicised.

1h ago (05:49 GMT)

Sheinbaum’s lead strengthens with 29 percent of votes counted

Sheinbaum is leading the presidential race with 29 percent of polling place tallies counted by Mexico’s electoral authority.

Follow our live tracker here.

1h ago (05:40 GMT)

Galvez asks Mexico to ‘stay awake’ as results trickle in

On her X account, Galvez, urged Mexicans to “stay awake” before the preliminary results were announced.

“The votes are there. Let’s not allow them to hide them,” Galvez wrote on X. “Don’t fall asleep today! Stay alert and awake,” she urged.

1h ago (05:30 GMT)

Photos: Sheinbaum supporters gather in Mexico City’s Zocalo square

Thousands of Sheinbaum’s supporters have begun to gather in Mexico City’s Zocalo square in anticipation of her expected election victory.

1h ago (05:20 GMT)

Evo Morales and Alberto Fernandez congratulate Sheinbaum on ‘victory’

The former presidents of Argentina and Bolivia – Alberto Fernandez and Evo Morales, respectively – are with Sheinbaum at her campaign headquarters in Mexico City.

Both are at the Hilton Hotel in the heart of the city and congratulated her on her victory in posts on social media.

“The first data on the scrutiny of the presidential election in Mexico are now known. I have had the privilege of being able to hug who will be the new president of this beloved country, our dear @Claudiashein. I had the honour of being with her and her team receiving the first results. A progressive woman will continue in Mexico the enormous task that my dear @lopezobrador began,” Fernandez said on X.

[Translation: A nice meeting with the newly-elected president of Mexico @Claudiashein. She is humble and committed, as always. We shared the joy of the victory with @alferdez, @marcoporchile, Mario Delgado, president of Morena, Alberto Anaya, president of PT and others. Claudia is Latin American. Thank you to my brother @lopezobrador for being the moral reserve of humanity.]

Morales shared a video of his meeting with Sheinbaum on X, showing him giving a gift of a red, long-fringed scarf. 1h ago (05:10 GMT) Argentina’s Cristina Kirchner congratulates Sheinbaum

Cristina Kirchner, the first elected female president of Argentina, has congratulated the Morena party and Sheinbaum for their projected victory.

Translation: From Argentina, our country, we salute the Mexican people for the historic democratic day they’ve participated in. And we congratulate the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) for its victory at the polls and its candidate, the first female president of Mexico, Dr Claudia Sheinbaum.

2h ago (05:00 GMT)

Xochitl Galvez coalition: It’s not over yet

Manuel Rapalo

Reporting from Mexico City

The mood at Xochitl Galvez’s campaign headquarters appears to be, “It’s not over until it’s over.”

Mexico does have that sort of historic precedent where anything can happen, and that’s certainly what appears to be on the backs of the minds of folks here at the coalition headquarters.

2h ago (04:49 GMT)

Sheinbaum leads with 16 percent of votes counted

Former Mexico City Mayor Sheinbaum is leading the presidential race with 16 percent of polling place tallies counted by Mexico’s electoral authority.

Vote counts have been slow.

2h ago (04:45 GMT)

Mexico’s ruling Morena party expects simple majority in parliament

Mario Delgado, the national president of Mexico’s ruling Morena party, has told Milenio TV the party expects to hold onto its simple majority in Congress.

It had been targeting a two-thirds majority, which would make it easier for it to pass constitutional reforms. A simple majority makes that harder.

2h ago (04:40 GMT)

Exit polls predict landslide victory for Sheinbaum

We’ve just brought you an exit poll from Parametria that forecast a landslide win for Sheinbaum. Four other polls also showed a similar outcome.

Covarrubias and Asociados forecast Sheinbaum winning 60.53 percent of the vote, Galvez 27.4 percent and Maynez 11.23 percent.

Buendia and Marquez’s poll showed Sheinbaum with 61.4 percent of support, Gálvez with 30 percent and Maynez with 11 percent.

Mendoza Blanco and Asociados predicted 63.2 percent for Sheinbaum, 26.5 percent for Gálvez and 10.3 percent for Maynez.

Enkoll’s poll, meanwhile, forecast Sheinbaum winning 54.9 percent, Gálvez obtaining 27.6 percent and Maynez 10.8 percent.

2h ago (04:30 GMT)

Early results suggest strong lead for Sheinbaum

The early INE count shows Sheinbaum in the lead, starting the count with 166,160 votes, double those of her opponent Galvez.

It’s still early days…

Follow our tracker here.

2h ago (04:20 GMT)

Besides the presidency, what other races are being closely watched?

Other than Mexico’s next leader of the country, the race for Congress is also being closely watched.

The ruling party Morena has been targeting a two-thirds majority in Congress, which would enable it to amend the constitution as part of its attempt to eliminate what it sees as cumbersome and wasteful oversight agencies. The opposition, united in a loose coalition, says such an action would pose a threat to Mexico’s democratic institutions.

This could also affect the peso and how investors react to the election.

“If [Morena] wins two-thirds of the Congress, or gets eerily close, that becomes a tougher decision for investors because that becomes a very different scenario, in which there’s less constraints to power,” Miguel Angel Toro Rios, the dean of the School of Social Sciences and Government at Tecnologico de Monterrey, told Al Jazeera.

In Mexico City, the competition is fierce, with Clara Brugada of the ruling party, Santiago Taboada of the largest opposition coalition and Salomon Chertorivski of the Citizens’ Movement all locked in a tight race to run the city.

Governorships in large, populous states such as Veracruz and Jalisco, are also drawing interest.

2h ago (04:10 GMT)

Jorge Maynez thanks supporters

The third candidate contesting Mexico’s presidential election took to X to thank supporters and said he would issue a statement after the electoral authority releases its quick count estimates.

Translation: I am truly grateful for the support we had today from millions of people across the country. If anything distinguished us in this contest, it is respecting the law. Before the campaign, during the campaign and today. We will have a statement after the quick count from @INEMexico .

3h ago (04:00 GMT)

Why it’s ‘hard to understand’ what Sheinbaum might do as president

Sheinbaum has struggled to establish her own identity during the election campaign and differentiate herself from the enormously popular and charismatic AMLO.

To many, the woman who could be Mexico’s first female president remains somewhat of a mystery.

“It’s complicated,” Juan Pablo Micozzi, an associate professor of Political Science at Mexico’s Autonomous Institute of Technology (ITAM), told Al Jazeera.

“Her [political] trajectory has been practically an unconditional alignment with AMLO… So, it’s really hard for me to understand what Claudia is going to do on day one without AMLO in charge,” Micozzi added.

3h ago (03:45 GMT)

Who is Claudia Sheinbaum?

Claudia Sheinbaum looks like she is on track to become Mexico’s next president – the first woman to get the top job.

Born into a family of Jewish heritage, she followed her parents’ example and became a scientist, studying physics and then energy engineering at the University of California, Berkeley in the United States.

But she also inherited a passion for politics from her parents and was a student activist.

Eventually, that brought her into contact with Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, popularly known as AMLO, Mexico’s current president and the man who became her political mentor.

Find out more about Sheinbaum and what to expect from her in our profile.

3h ago (03:30 GMT)

Mexico election live results 2024: By the numbers

As early results trickle in, here is a look at how the three parties are performing in Mexico’s presidential vote.

3h ago (03:15 GMT)

Opposition hopes for an end to historic levels of violence

Manuel Rapalo

Reporting from Mexico City, Mexico

The anticipation is mounting here at the coalition headquarters in Mexico City for Xochitl Galvez, the main opposition candidate.

This coalition that Xochitl Galvez has managed to create – these are political parties that do not have much in common, except for the vitriol that they have for the policies and vision of Mexico’s current President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

So, while Claudia Sheinbaum represents continuity for Mexico, Xochitl Galvez represents the starkest departure from those policies.

And as we’ve been reporting throughout the day, there’s been a lot of violence that unfortunately has overshadowed the historical significance of this election, with Mexico poised to welcome its first woman president. We’ve had a person who was killed in the state of Puebla and a political candidate that was killed in the state of Michoacan overnight – they are the 37th political candidate at a local level that’s been murdered so far this year.

So there is this sort of excitement here specifically within the Xochitl Galvez camp, that because over the last six years, violence has remained at historic levels, whether it be violence linked to drug cartels, violence against women and forced disappearances, that regardless of who wins today there will be some sort of change that will curb the violence and really bring meaningful and lasting peace to the country moving forward.

4h ago (03:00 GMT)

Galvez congratulates all citizens who voted

Galvez has issued her first message, after polling stations closed and before the start of the quick count of votes.

“We are experiencing a historic election. I feel happy, content and proud to be Mexican.” Galvez told a crowd of followers.

“Today, millions of citizens went out to vote for life, for truth and for freedom. Congratulations to all the voters.

“We have had an extraordinarily high turnout. It has been moving to see the long lines of citizens waiting hours to vote … I, myself, waited three hours in line at my polling station to vote.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the citizens who went out to vote, to those who voted for me and to those who didn’t, thank you as well.

“Thanks also to all the polling station officials, to the party representatives who are counting each vote at this moment with great responsibility and care. I ask you not to leave your places, continue with your work until the last vote is counted and the record is received.

“Let us not forget we are competing against authoritarianism and power, and they are capable of anything. Due to the high voter turnout of more than 80 percent in many polling stations, and the energy and enthusiasm of the people … for these results, it is clear that we have already won,” she added.

4h ago (02:40 GMT)

Televisa predicts victory for Sheinbaum as results trickle in

Lucia Newman

Reporting from Mexico City, Mexico

We haven’t heard from Claudia Sheinbaum yet.

But others have been doing the talking.

Televisa, which is Mexico’s largest media conglomerate, has already forecast that Claudia Sheinbaum has won the presidency. They’ve been doing this now for over an hour, although they haven’t been giving any numbers at all.

Both of the parties or coalitions are claiming victory for the mayor’s position here in Mexico City, which is the second most coveted political office in Mexico.

We are expecting the electoral council any minute now to come out with the first preliminary official results.

4h ago (02:31 GMT)

Parametria exit poll puts Sheinbaum on course for victory

An exit poll by Parametria suggests Sheinbaum could win in a landslide.

The poll suggests the governing party candidate has won 56 percent of the vote, with rival Galvez on 30 percent, the Reuters news agency reported.

Early results are beginning to trickle in from the elections commission.

4h ago (02:15 GMT)

What will a victory for Claudia Sheinbaum mean for Mexico?

Analysts believe that if Sheinbaum secures victory, it will demonstrate the success of Morena’s government.

“If Claudia Sheinbaum wins, that implies that most Mexicans really are in tune to what Lopez Obrador and his party have been able to promote,” Miguel Angel Toro Rios, the dean of the School of Social Sciences and Government at Mexico’s Tecnologico de Monterrey, told Al Jazeera.

“And I say this recognising that Claudia is a different person,” Toro Rios said.

“She would be the first Mexican female president. And that is always important, but the entire campaign trail of Morena’s candidates relies heavily on the Lopez Obrador presence,” he added.

5h ago (02:00 GMT)

Journalists continue to face violence and intimidation under President AMLO

Not only have there been reports of violence against voters and candidates in the lead-up to Sunday’s results, but journalists have also been in the crosshairs.

Newspaper and media workers in Mexico face extraordinary levels of violence from criminal groups, powerful interests and the country’s armed forces, but accountability is rare.

In 2023, the Committee to Protect Journalists ranked Mexico the seventh worst country in the world for impunity in cases of violence against the press.

Reporters Without Borders estimates that at least 37 journalists have been killed since outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took office. In April, the slaying of a journalist in the state of Morelos prompted protests outside the prosecutor’s office, demanding greater accountability.

5h ago (01:45 GMT)

Reports of tensions amid inefficiencies in voting process

Reporters in Mexico and the United States have said that frustrations have heightened after some Mexicans were ultimately unable to vote, sometimes after waiting in line for hours.

“Hundreds of Mexican nationals outside the Mexican Consulate – even those registered to vote couldn’t vote,” Laura Rodríguez Presa, a reporter with the Chicago Tribune in the US, said in a social media post. “Polls closed at 7 pm. Many waited in line for nearly 12 hours. Chicago police now in the area.”

Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado, a reporter with NPR, said that things got “heated” at a polling station in California after some voters worried they would not be able to cast their votes. He heard chants of “Morena!” and shouts that called election officials “corrupt”.

The Mexican outlet Reforma shared a video from Mexico City of people chanting, “We want to vote!” Its reporter noted that some voters had begun to leave in frustration.

5h ago (01:35 GMT)

Politicians share selfies and videos from polling stations

Dozens of high-level politicians joined everyday voters in line to cast their ballots for Sunday’s elections, capturing the moment on social media.

Marcela Guerra, the president of the Chamber of Deputies and a member of the conservative Institutional Revolutionary Party, posted a video of a poll worker guiding her through the paperwork. “Cinco boletas!” she exclaimed. “Five ballots!”

She wrote below the video: “Exercising our right to vote is essential. Voting means democracy, it means freedom, it means going out to exercise our will as citizens through voting.”

Lilly Tellez, a senator from seeking re-election, shared this picture from her home state of Sonora. Tellez is a prominent critic of the ruling Morena party after having ditched the group for the conservative National Action Party (PAN).

The president of the general counsel of the election commission, Guadalupe Taddei Zavala, also shared some ballot-box pictures, with a message encouraging others to vote: “As a responsible citizen, I attended to exercise my vote in these #2024MexicanElections.”

And Hugo López-Gatell Ramírez, an epidemiologist who helped lead Mexico’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, shared this message: “I voted convinced that exercising suffrage is a way to honour the social struggles that gave the people the true right to freely decide their government.”

Politicians are barred from campaigning while the polls are open, so their messages are largely apolitical, focusing on encouraging voters to cast their ballots.

5h ago (01:30 GMT)

Photos: Long lines as Mexico holds its biggest election yet

With nearly 100 million people registered to vote and more than 20,700 public offices at stake, Mexico is in the midst of wrapping up its biggest election in history.

Take a bird’s eye view of the lines, as voters brave the heat to cast their ballot in races that will determine the presidency, the composition of Congress and thousands of lower-level positions. A line circles around a building in Tijuana

5h ago (01:15 GMT)

Mexican voters report waiting hours in line to cast ballots

Mexican voters have reported hours-long lines to cast their ballots in Sunday’s race, leading to frustration as many queued up in higher-than-average heat.

Local media carried reports of voters waiting four hours or more at polling stations.

The issue extended to Mexican voters abroad, too. In the neighbouring US, voters encountered lines that stretched out of the doors of consulates and down the sidewalk, sometimes encircling the buildings.

“This is the line at the Mexican consulate in Fresno to vote in today’s presidential election. It wraps around the block. People have been in line for hours, it’s hot, and there’s a chance some may not get to vote. People I’ve spoken to are frustrated about delays,” Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado, a reporter for NPR in Central California, said in a social media post.

6h ago (01:00 GMT)

Women still face system of ‘deficiencies’ no matter who is elected: Analyst

While Mexico is poised to make history by electing its first-ever female president, experts warn that women in the country will still face a system that is often slow to address gender-based violence.

“Even if there’s a renewed commitment to these issues, it’s very difficult to advance against gender-based violence – or violence in general – within the current framework,” Stephanie Brewer, the Mexico director at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), told Al Jazeera.

“There are so many deficiencies in Mexico’s security and justice institutions, where impunity levels are so high, where you have collusion between state and non-state actors,” she explained.

“Those are some of the big issues that are going to face whoever is elected as president today.”

6h ago (00:50 GMT)

New president will face ‘temptation’ to ignore crime: Analyst

More than 30 candidates have died in the lead-up to Mexico’s 2024 elections. Local media carried reports of violence even through the election day.

But security analyst Falk Ernst told Al Jazeera that it remains to be seen whether Mexico’s next president will take decisive steps to address the spiralling security crisis.

“From what we can tell, there is going to be a temptation to remain rather passive about security because being proactive about security has spectacularly backfired in the past,” Ernst said, speaking outside of a polling station in Mexico City.

“So pretending that the whole thing’s going in the right direction – while containing things at precarious levels, especially in the high conflict regions – is a big temptation.”

Still, Ernst warned that the crime in the country may reach such an apex that action will no longer be optional.

“Ultimately, having this much violence, having spectacular outbreaks, contradicting your narrative of peace and tranquility in this country will eventually become politically costly.”

6h ago (00:45 GMT)

Mexico election results set to influence immigration debate

The result of Mexico’s presidential elections stands to influence an ongoing international concern: cross-border migration.

Outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has largely cooperated with his counterparts in the United States to address migration northwards, to the countries’ shared border.

But experts fear Sunday’s election will fail to improve the lot of migrants and asylum seekers as they pass through what is considered the world’s most dangerous land migration route.

Mexico has faced persistent pressure from the US to crack down on irregular migration northwards. But efforts to stop the flow of migration into the US have resulted in violence towards migrants and asylum seekers along the border, with some vulnerable to criminal gangs.

Human rights groups report that violence and exploitation, including from law enforcement authorities, have also accompanied such enforcement pushes.

Reflecting on Sunday’s election, Eliezer Avila, a Venezuelan migrant, told the Associated Press that he hopes authorities will “at least set up a humanitarian corridor to a city where we can wait or let us make it to our destination”, the US. 6h ago (00:30 GMT)

Mexicans abroad go to great lengths to make voices heard

Mexicans living in the United States have shown up in large numbers to cast their votes at consulates across the country, in some cases waiting for hours in line or travelling long distances to participate in the elections.

“I love my country. And I have to cast a vote for my country,” Israel Aguilar, who drove four hours to vote in Washington, DC, told the Mexican outlet Reforma.

Mexico has a large diaspora community, the majority of which lives in the neighbouring US.

6h ago (00:15 GMT)

How does this election compare with 2018?

He had lost the presidential race in 2006, then again in 2012. But the third time was the charm for populist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, also known as AMLO.

In 2018, Lopez Obrador won the presidency with a solid 53 percent of the vote, putting him well ahead of his main rivals, Ricardo Anaya of the PAN and Jose Antonio Meade of the PRI, the party in power at the time.

In the six years since, AMLO’s popularity has forced rival parties to recalculate their approach to national politics.

The PAN and the PRI, for instance, have had to unite as part of a conservative-leaning coalition to challenge Lopez Obrador’s party, Morena.

In 2018, Lopez Obrador campaigned on a message of upending the political establishment. “The people want a change,” he said. “That’s why our adversaries are getting really nervous.”

But Lopez Obrador and his Morena party have since become the dominant political force — and they will seek to hold onto power in Sunday’s election.

6h ago (00:10 GMT)

Election oversight body reminds Mexicans they still have time to vote

The Instituto Nacional Electoral (INE), Mexico’s election oversight body, has reminded voters that there is still time to cast their ballots.

“You still have time to go to your polling station and cast your vote! ⏰ Remember that polling hours end at 6:00pm,” INE said in a social media post.

7h ago (00:06 GMT)

Who is President Lopez Obrador, and why is Sheinbaum his successor?

A brash, outspoken populist from the southern state of Tabasco, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador remains one of the most popular world leaders in office, consistently scoring approval ratings north of 60 percent.

But Mexico’s term limits have brought his tenure to an end, and whoever wins Sunday’s presidential race will succeed him on October 1.

Political analysts believe that Lopez Obrador’s strong base of supporters will help propel his protege, Claudia Sheinbaum, to the presidential palace.

According to Sheinbaum, she first encountered Lopez Obrador as an activist, but it was only after he won the race to lead Mexico City’s government that they first spoke.

He appointed her as his environment secretary. They have campaigned together ever since.

Sheinbaum would eventually lead Mexico City’s government herself, becoming the first woman elected to the role. In June 2023, though, she stepped down, clearing the way for her to accept the Morena party nomination for the presidency in September. Lopez Obrador casts a ballot in Mexico’s elections.

7h ago (00:03 GMT)

A violent end to a violent campaign season

“This is not a peaceful place to campaign for an election.”

That is how Al Jazeera correspondent Lucia Newman summed up the situation in Mexico, which has seen more than 30 political hopefuls killed in the run-up to Sunday’s election.

That violence continued during Sunday’s elections, with reports emerging from different parts of the country of violence in and around voting stations.

At least two people are believed to have been killed: one in Coyomeapan and the other in Tlapanala, both part of the state of Puebla.

Prosecutors in the state of Chiapas, meanwhile, said armed men kidnapped a voter in a polling station in San Fernando. And in the central state of Queretaro, officials said suspects tried to burn ballots at four polling spots. A hand puts a ballot into a ballot box for the presidency.

7h ago (00:02 GMT)

Voting in Mexico’s historic election coming to a close

Nearly 100 million voters were eligible to cast their ballots in Sunday’s polls, with voting stations opening at 8am local time.

But now, election day is winding down. Polling stations close at 6pm local time – or whenever the last voter in line has finished casting their ballot.

Eastern states like Quintana Roo have already seen stations shutter for the night, but Mexico has four time zones, meaning areas in the west will continue to vote for a while longer.

This election, the biggest in the country’s history, requires the use of more than 170,000 polling places.

7h ago (00:01 GMT)

Who’s running for the highest office in the land?

Every Mexican president faces a strict limit: They can only serve one six-year term, sometimes called the “sexenio”.

That means President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a powerful and popular figure in Mexican politics, must make way for a newcomer this election season.

Three major candidates are vying for his office. The frontrunner is a member of his Morena party, Claudia Sheinbaum. The scientist-turned-politician has pledged to continue Lopez Obrador’s popular policies for another six years.

Trailing her in second place is opposition candidate Xochitl Galvez, a businesswoman and former senator with Indigenous Otomi roots.

She represents “Strength and Heart for Mexico”, a coalition that brings together two rival conservative parties – the National Action Party (PAN) and the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) – plus a third centrist group.

In a distant third place is Jorge Alvarez Maynez, the candidate for the Citizens’ Movement. Given Sheinbaum’s and Galvez’s relatively strong numbers, it is likely Mexico will see its first female president by the night’s end. The three 2024 presidential candidates at a debate in Mexico

7h ago (00:00 GMT)

Welcome to our live coverage of the results from Mexico’s election

Thank you for joining us as Al Jazeera brings you the outcome of a historic election day in Mexico, where more than 20,700 government offices are up for grabs.

Not only is this election historically big, but it could also herald the first female president in the country’s history.

To catch up on events from earlier in the day, take a look at our coverage here.

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