The National Electoral Institute (INE) has put into circulation a redesign of the voter ID card, which began to be issued in documents processed from June 1, 2026. Among the changes are elements to reinforce security, as well as new accessibility tools for people with visual disabilities. “The voter ID card evolves to be a more secure, inclusive, and reliable document, which contributes to guaranteeing fundamental rights and strengthening both its function as an instrument for casting a vote and its value as an official identification under the principle that at the INE, all people count,” the organization stated in a press release.
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The new design aims to make it more difficult to counterfeit, alter, or duplicate the document. Novelties include an update to the optically variable element over the photograph and personal data, microtexts, INE acronyms in the background, enhancement effects, rainbow printing, as well as tactile relief aspects and weakened patterns to prevent against risks of violation. In addition, the ID card incorporates an update to its high-security QR codes, which facilitates the verification of its authenticity.
As part of the inclusion measures, this ID card will allow choosing between displaying the “Sex” or “Gender” field, the latter with the options woman (M), man (H), and non-binary (NB). Since 2023, the electoral body has promoted actions to recognize the diversity of gender identities, by allowing non-binary people to request that their ID card incorporate the letter “X” in the “Sex” section, thus strengthening this policy with the redesign.
In this same section, the possibility of identifying as an indigenous or Afro-Mexican person has been considered, so that this information can appear on the ID card based on the National Catalog of Indigenous Peoples and Communities, issued by the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples. “This data is for informational purposes only and does not generate additional political-electoral rights or accredit affirmative actions in the registration of candidacies,” the INE clarified.
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The new model also includes measures to improve accessibility for people with visual disabilities. Among them is a cut that allows the ID card to be identified by touch and distinguished from other similarly sized documents. In addition, the mobile application used to verify its authenticity will audibly reproduce the name of the cardholder when scanning the QR codes.
ID cards issued with previous designs will remain valid until the expiration date indicated on each document, so it will not be necessary to carry out an early renewal process.
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