The 1910 Presidential Election in Mexico

Abstract This chapter highlights the significance of the presidential election of 1910 in Mexico, one that, by unleashing the first modern revolution of the twentieth century, is central to the “revolutionary elections” covered in this volume. To this aim, we first look at the institutional framework surrounding the election before examining how the electoral campaign evolved into civil conflict. In particular we examine how the anti-reelection movement, led by Francisco I. Madero, faced with the repression of its leader, launched a legal challenge to the electoral results, soon followed by the armed rebellion that unleashed the revolution against Porfirio Díaz. By the time the revolution broke out, Mexico was already experiencing important transformations in its political culture, manifested in the 1910 elections.