Senate of the Republic (Mexico)

The Senate of the Republic, (Senado de la República) constitutionally Chamber of Senators of the Honorable Congress of the Union (Cámara de Senadores del H. Congreso de la Unión), is the upper house of Mexico's bicameral Congress. It currently consists of 128 members, who serve six-year terms.

History
A bicameral legislature, including the Senate, was established on 4 October 1824. The Senate was abolished on 7 September 1857 and re-established on 13 November 1874. Under the regime of Porfirio Díaz (the Porfiriato: 1876–1910), many seats were given to elites and wealthy people loyal to the regime. During the Mexican Revolution, notably during the brief presidency of Francisco I. Madero, the Senate was left intact with Porfirian sympathizers and blocked the president's attempts to pass reforms for the Revolution.

Composition
After a series of reforms during the 1990s, the Senate is made up of 128 senators:


 * Two for each of the 32 states elected under the principle of relative majority.
 * One for each of the 32 states assigned under the principle of first minority (i.e. awarded to the party with the second highest number of votes in the state).
 * Thirty-two national senators-at-large, divided among the parties in proportion to their share of the national vote.

In a senatorial race, each party nominates two candidates who run and are elected together by direct vote. The party of the two candidates that won the second highest vote within the state then assigns a senator to occupy the third seat (first minority seat), according to the list of candidates that the party registered with the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE).

Senators serve six-year terms, running concurrently with the president of Mexico's sexenio. Special elections are rare, as substitutes are chosen at every election. Until 2018, the Senate was completely renewed every six years since senators were barred from immediate reelection, but they can now serve a second term.

The current composition of the Senate is as follows:

Term
In Spanish, it is conventional to refer to each legislature by the Roman numeral of its term. The current session (whose term lasts from 2021 to 2024) is known as the LXV Legislatura (65th Legislature).

Senators are elected to serve during two legislatures, while members of the Chamber of Deputies serve only one. Thus, current senators (who were elected in the general election of 1 July 2018) serve during the 64th and 65th Legislatures.

Legislatures
A senator holds office for a period of six years for which they were elected (from 1 September of the year of its election to 31 August six years later), divided into two legislatures of three years each.

The LXIII Legislature was installed on 1 September 2015, and its term ended on 31 August 2018. Senators were elected to office in the 2012 elections for a period of six years and were at their posts from 1 September of that year; therefore, they held office during both the LXII Legislature and the LXIII Legislature.

Eligibility requirements
According to the Constitution, senators are the representatives of the nation. Election to the Senate, by any of the mechanisms available, requires the candidate to meet the following requirements:
 * A Mexican citizen by birth, in full exercise of his or her rights.
 * Twenty-five years old on election day
 * From the state in the election, or a resident with an effective residence of more than six months prior to the date of the election, or in the case of candidates is made by proportional representation of any of the states that as the constituency, with the same details.
 * Not being active duty in the military or have control of police or rural gendarmerie at least ninety days before the election.
 * Not be a secretary or undersecretary of state unless the office is definitively resigned at least ninety days before the election.
 * Not be Minister of the Supreme Court unless the office is definitively resigned three years before the election.
 * Not be a minister of religion.

Election process
Senators are elected for a period of six years, corresponding to two legislatures and can be reelected just one time for the immediate period.

They are elected by direct popular suffrage and secret ballot in every state of the republic. Each political party registers a list with two formulas of candidates, consisting of two primary candidates and their alternates: the number 1 of the formula First Formula is denominated to him, and 2, Second Formula. The formula of candidates obtaining the highest number of votes is elected complete, becoming the first two senators of the state; the third Senate seat is awarded to the candidate of First Formula of the political party that won second place of votes or first minority.

There are also 32 senators elected by proportional representation. For this election, each political party registers a list of 32 candidates, and these are allocated by proportional representation according to the number of votes obtained by each political party in the national election.

Governing bodies
For their internal government has two main instances, namely:
 * Board: Composed of a chair, three vice-chairs and four secretaries, elected for each regular session of the House; the chair is the president of the Senate and is the head and representative of the Chamber.
 * Political Coordination Board: Considered the true governing body of the Chamber consists of a chair and six members, which always include the Coordinators of the different parliamentary factions of political parties represented in the Senate.

Commissions
To deal with legislative affairs, senators form commissions dedicated to a particular issue. The most important committees are those of interior, constitutional issues, defense, finance, and justice. Each senator belongs to at least three different commissions, and each committee elects a chair and two to five secretaries (according to the commission) to coordinate their work.

Sessions
The two chambers of the General Congress divided its exercise into two ordinary sessions, the first from 1 September to 15 December and the second from 1 February to 30 April; if required, special sessions may be convened to deal with urgent or pertinent matters.

The time between the regular sessions known as Recesses. There are two recesses that run from 16 December to 31 January and 1 May to 31 August. During breaks, the Permanent Commission of the Congress is installed and serves as the depository of the legislature. It is composed of 37 members — 19 deputies and 18 senators — who are appointed by their respective chambers the day before the closing of the regular sessions.

The sessions of the Standing Committee are held in the Senate during the first recess and the Chamber of Deputies in the second recess.

Functions
Among the most important functions of the Senate is to ratify or reject the president's proposals regarding:
 * Ministers of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation
 * Attorney General of the Republic
 * Heads of autonomous bodies
 * Diplomatic representatives (ambassadors and consuls)
 * Treaties