As the program advances over the coming months, electronic voting machines will be taken to 561 primary and 73 secondary schools in the Guadalajara municipal zones.
The children will be able to vote and voice their opinions on a range of economic proposals covering three general areas: infrastructure, maintenance and public works.
In total, 200 electronic voting urns will be employed in the program, which is backed by the state government and the State Electoral Commission (IEPC).IEPC President Jose Tomas Figueroa Padilla praised Guadalajara city hall for “giving children a voice,” and called the program a smart way “to reduce the distance between authorities and citizens.”
Both Guadalajara Mayor Ramiro Hernandez and Jalisco Governor Aristoteles Sandoval hailed the groundbreaking nature of a program that gives youngsters an opportunity to participate in the democratic process.
If successful, Sandoval would like to see the program expanded to all schoolchildren in Jalisco.