MEXICO CITY—Low turnout overshadowed Mexico’s first formal referendum, a controversial vote proposed by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador that he said would advance efforts to investigate and prosecute wrongdoing of several past presidents.

Just 7% or 6.6 million of Mexico’s 94 million registered voters cast ballots Sunday, well below the 40% required by law for the results to be binding, according to preliminary results released by Mexico’s electoral agency. Nearly 98% of those who participated voted in favor of investigating former presidents.

Despite a majority of voters backing the proposal, the low turnout was seen as a blow for the president.

“It was a political exercise by López Obrador to keep his core supporters mobilized more than anything else,” said Gustavo López Montiel, a political analyst with the Tecnológico de Monterrey university.

Mr. López Obrador said Monday that the vote was a triumph because most voted in favor of the proposal. Although not binding, he said it was a good exercise ahead of a recall vote on his presidential mandate planned for March of next year. His six-year term is due to end in 2024.

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Originally Appeared Here