Guadalupe Taddei Zavala left the presidency of Mexico's National Electoral Institute (INE) on October 26, 2026, when she submitted her resignation to the Chamber of Deputies, a day after announcing it. She stepped down amid allegations of irregularities in contracts with election-material suppliers and the release of videos showing her with a businessman from that network, according to Expansión and El País.
The institute is now led by board member Blanca Yassahara Cruz García, chosen as acting president on October 27. The Chamber of Deputies is preparing the call to elect the person who will complete Taddei's term, while the Federal Audit Office (ASF) reported on October 30 that it is investigating operations by two business groups worth 8.87 billion pesos with public entities, including the INE and the state electoral institutes.
Why Guadalupe Taddei resigned
Taddei was chosen in March 2023 by insaculación (a draw) in the Chamber of Deputies, because the parties could not reach an agreement, and took office in April that year. Her nine-year term was due to end in April 2032. In her resignation she said she sought to protect the institute's stability, credibility and independence, according to El Imparcial.
Pressure built in October on three fronts: reports on election-material contracts, videos in which Taddei and one of her sons appear with businessman José Alfredo Hernández Casillas, whom the press links to several supplier companies, and the opening of an ASF investigation. According to El País, Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez warned her two days before the resignation that her position had become untenable. President Claudia Sheinbaum said that "Taddei betrayed the people's trust."
| Date (2026) | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| October 23 | The ASF opens an investigation into INE contracts on its own initiative | Expansión |
| October 25 | Taddei announces she will step down | El Imparcial |
| October 26 | She delivers her resignation to the Chamber of Deputies; Ricardo Monreal confirms receipt | Publimetro |
| October 27 | Blanca Cruz García is chosen acting president of the INE | Uno TV |
| October 30 | The ASF tells lawmakers of operations worth 8,870.3 million pesos | Excélsior |
| October 30-31 | Media report Taddei is in Arizona (not officially confirmed) | El Imparcial |
Taddei rejected the corruption allegations before resigning. As of November 1, no court order against her was known: any responsibility must be determined by the ongoing investigations.
What the ASF is investigating at the INE and state electoral bodies
Federal Auditor Aureliano Hernández Palacios Cardel told committees of the Chamber of Deputies on October 30 that the ASF opened an investigation into the operations of the INE and the 32 local electoral bodies (OPLE) between 2014 and 2026, covering companies, suppliers and officials, according to Excélsior and Proceso.
| Finding reported by the ASF | Figure |
|---|---|
| Operations of two business groups with public entities (2014-2026) | 8,870.3 million pesos |
| Share with electoral bodies | 3,790.3 million pesos |
| Operations with invoicing firms linked to fake-invoice companies | 21.3 million pesos |
| Firms with fewer than five workers or no staff billing hundreds of millions | Yes, no public figure |
| Deadline for the first criminal complaints | No later than February 2027 |
Source: Excélsior and Proceso, based on the auditor's presentation to the Chamber. The ASF did not name the groups. Some outlets split the 3,790.3 million into 430 million with the INE and 3,360.3 million with the OPLE; Excélsior attributes that total to local electoral bodies, so the exact split should be read with caution until the ASF publishes its report.
The INE's internal comptroller reported 18 open cases and five officials charged with serious misconduct during Taddei's tenure. Among the irregularities it cited contract INE-007-2025 for ballot boxes and voting booths, worth between 165 and 198 million pesos, awarded directly with a 26-million overprice compared with the bid from Talleres Gráficos de México, according to Excélsior. According to N+, the ASF is also reviewing possible triangulation of funds in Nuevo León and Sinaloa.
Sheinbaum said the alleged irregularities with suppliers did not start with Taddei but date back to 2014, and asked for a review of contracts under Lorenzo Córdova as well, according to El Imparcial.
Who replaces Guadalupe Taddei at the INE
The replacement has two stages. First, the ten remaining board members chose an acting president from among themselves, as electoral law requires (the law asks for a simple majority; media reported the vote was unanimous): Blanca Yassahara Cruz García, who joined the General Council in April 2026 after being appointed by the Chamber of Deputies and who in 2022 had been named president of the Puebla State Electoral Institute, according to Zeta Tijuana and Uno TV.
The second stage takes place in the Chamber of Deputies and follows Article 41 of the Constitution, as explained by Publimetro:
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Call | The Chamber of Deputies approves an agreement with the public call, requirements and deadlines |
| 2. Technical Evaluation Committee | Five people: three appointed by the Political Coordination Board (Jucopo) and two by the CNDH human rights commission |
| 3. Shortlist | The committee evaluates the applicants and proposes five profiles |
| 4. Vote | The floor elects with two thirds of the deputies present |
| 5. Draw | Without agreement, the winner is drawn by lot among the evaluated profiles, as happened with Taddei in 2023 |
The winner does not start a new nine-year term but completes Taddei's, until April 2032. Ricardo Monreal, head of the Jucopo, estimated the process would take four to five weeks. Outlets such as El País and Infobae reported on October 28 and 29 a draft call with the vote scheduled for December 6 or 7 and the possibility that only women may apply; as of November 1 that schedule was still a draft.
What Taddei's exit means for the 2027 elections
The resignation comes in the middle of an electoral process. The 2026-2027 federal process began on September 10 and election day will be June 6, 2027, when the Chamber of Deputies will be renewed and 17 governorships and more than 19,000 posts will be at stake, according to Publimetro. The ten board members agreed to keep the electoral calendar's activities and deadlines.
| Electoral process data | Value |
|---|---|
| Start of the federal process | September 10, 2026 |
| Election day | June 6, 2027 |
| Posts at stake | Chamber of Deputies, 17 governorships and more than 19,000 posts in total |
| INE presidency | Acting (Blanca Cruz García) until the Chamber elects |
| End of the term to be completed | April 2032 |
El País analyst Ernesto Núñez describes Taddei's fall as part of a series of moves with which Sheinbaum has reduced the weight of groups inherited from the previous government within Morena and key institutions. For the calendar and polls, see Mexico's 2027 elections; for the figure who shaped the democratic transition, Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas's career.
Frequently asked questions
When did Guadalupe Taddei resign from the INE?
She announced her resignation on October 25, 2026, and formally delivered it to the Chamber of Deputies on October 26.
Who leads the INE now?
Board member Blanca Yassahara Cruz García, chosen acting president on October 27 by the General Council, until the Chamber of Deputies appoints a new president.
How is the new INE president chosen?
Through a public call, a five-member Technical Evaluation Committee that proposes a shortlist of five and a two-thirds vote of the deputies present. Without agreement, a draw is held among the evaluated profiles.
What is the Federal Audit Office investigating?
Operations of the INE and the 32 state electoral institutes between 2014 and 2026. It reported that two business groups totaled 8,870.3 million pesos with public entities and that the first criminal complaints would come no later than February 2027.
Is there an arrest warrant against Taddei?
As of November 1, 2026, none was known. Media reported she was in Arizona, United States, but there was no official confirmation.
